Riyadh Masters Group Stage - Day 1 Recap

The first day of the Riyadh Masters Group Stage was action-packed, and we got interesting results. 

Group A

Group A was very competitive on the first day, with no team ending the day winless. PSG.LGD and Evil Geniuses are currently leading the group with scores of 3-1. The Chinese team has always been a solid group stage team, and Evil Geniuses are bouncing back from a disappointing last-place finish at the Bali Major.

We have a four-way tie for 3rd to 6th place, where Team Spirit, Gaimin Gladiators, Quest Esports, and Xtreme Gaming reside. All three European teams have always been competitive, and Xtreme Gaming surprisingly holds their own against the big dogs.

The bottom of the board is where OG and 9 Pandas are sitting. OG suffered a 2-0 loss against PSG.LGD, while 9 Pandas were cleaned up by Evil Geniuses 2-0 too. Fans expected OG to finish last in the group, but not many expected 9 Pandas to sit last. However, this is just the first day, and teams have only played two matches, so it’s too early to come to any conclusions.

Group B

The BetBoom Team is the only team in the entire tournament to remain undefeated, as they are sitting 4-0 after winning against Tundra Esports and Shopify Rebellion, two respectable opponents. 

Two Asian teams, Team Aster and Talon Esports, are tied for second and third place, with records of 3-1. However, both teams did get their “easy series” against Team Secret, where both of their matches went 2-0 against Puppey and his crew. 

Team Liquid is again starting slow, with two ties against TSM and Team Aster, putting them at a 2-2 record. Similarly, TSM tied their series against Shopify Rebellion, putting them at the same 2-2 score as Team Liquid.

Tundra Esports didn’t have the most successful day, as they lost a close Game 1 against BetBoom and only tied their series against Talon Esports, which is an opponent they should be able to beat. Shopify Rebellion is in the same situation, but they played one of the most challenging opponents, BetBoom, and will no longer have to worry about them. 

Games To Watch

If you missed the Dota action and want to catch up, here are some of the best games to watch today:

• Team Aster vs. Team Secret - Game 1
• Team Spirit vs. Gaimin Gladiators - Game 2
• Team Liquid vs. TSM - Game 1
• 9 Pandas vs. Quest Esports - Game 2
• BetBoom vs. Tundra - Game 1
• Quest Esports vs. Xtreme Gaming - Game 2

Closing Thoughts

Overall, BetBoom seems to be in excellent shape, while the Gaimin Gladiators are off to a slow start. OG and Team Secret barely made it past the Play-ins stage, and it is showing that they are struggling against stronger opponents. If they want Valve to give WEU more slots, they will have to prove themselves in the next few days.

The bottom two teams from each group will be eliminated at the end of the Group Stage. The top four teams from each group will start in the Upper Bracket of the playoffs, while the 5th and 6th finishers will start at the Lower one.