Team Liquid vs Talon Esports Riyadh Masters 2023 Dota 2 Lower Bracket Finals: head-to-head, livestream details, and more

Riyadh Masters is proving to be the most explosive Tier-1 Dota 2 tournament this year. Talon Esports' rematch against Team Liquid in the lower bracket finals already proves how much the script has been flipped. Meanwhile, The Gaimin Gladiators' supremacy that dominated the professional Dota 2 scene both internationally and in its own region is no more.

Whoever loses the lower bracket finals will be eliminated with a third-place finish and a prize sum of $1,700,000. The winners, on the other hand, will compete for a massive cash prize and prestige against Team Spirit in the grand finals.

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Preview of Team Liquid vs Talon Esports Riyadh Masters 2023 Dota 2 Lower Bracket Finals

Predictions

Team Liquid have been to the finals of every single Major in the 2023 Dota 2 season. This was brought to a halt by Team Spirit, who killed their indomitable momentum through the Riyadh Masters upper bracket at the final step.

Their current roster with Michał "Nisha" Jankowski is the best iteration of the Aydin "Insania" Sarkohi-era stack. Their relative success in all the tournaments this year confirms their credentials. However, their relegation to the lower brackets comes with a more sinister note this time.

Specifically, inconsistent performances and misplays from Liquid carry Michael "miCKe" Vu has raised some eyebrows. If it weren't for the resurgence of Ludwig "zai" Wåhlberg, they would have fallen to the lower brackets after the semifinal series against Talon Esports.

Talon Esports, conversely, are flying right now. Besides having recovered from their shocking defeat to Team Liquid in the upper bracket semifinals, they will be galvanized by eliminating the tournament favorites, Gaimin Gladiators.

From the volatile SEA Dota 2 region known for its chaotic roster-shuffle shenanigans, Talon Esports have come a long way. Their team chemistry and late-game decision-making seemed unparalleled in the Riyadh Masters lower bracket semifinals.

Discounting the surprise loss to Zai's Broodmother, Talon Esports had systematically defeated Team Liquid in their last showdown. The onus is on the latter to go back to the drawing board. That said, a prediction based on the current form will definitely favor Talon Esports in the rematch.

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Head-to-head

Team Liquid and Talon Esports have locked horns seven times in over two years. The results heavily favor the former, who have won four out of seven series. Talon Esports have only managed one series win, with the other two being bo2 draws.

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Previous results

Team Liquid had their last series in the upper bracket final of Riyadh Masters against Team Spirit. The previously off-form TI 10 winners, Team Spirit, proved their improvement since the Majors with a convincing 2-1 reverse sweep against Liquid.

Talon Esports' last fixture was their lower bracket finals win against Gaimin Gladiators, a best-of-three fixture that they won with a convincing third-game routine.

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Riyadh Masters 2023 Rosters

Team Liquid

• Michael "miCKe" Vu
• Michał "Nisha" Jankowski
• Ludwig "zai" Wåhlberg
• Samuel "Boxi" Svahn
• Aydin "Insania" Sarkohi

Talon Esports

• Nuengnara "23savage" Teeramahanon
• Rafli "Mikoto" Fathur Rahman
• Anucha "Jabz" Jirawong
• Worawit "Q" Mekchai
• Chan "Oli" Chon Kien

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Livestream details

Riyadh Masters, the final Valve-sponsored tier-1 Dota 2 tournament this year before TI, can be viewed on the official Twitch and YouTube handles of the tournament organizers, Gamers8GG. The series kicks off at 7 am ET on July 30, 2023.