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The VCT 2022 Stage 1 EMEA Challengers is set to return to action with a full game week of matches in Week 5. With certain teams unable to play, the postponed matchups from Week 3 will also be played this week.
European organization Fnatic will take on the Turkish side SuperMassive Blaze in an engaging best-of-three thriller. Both teams are in need of a crucial victory in this matchup to improve their chances of qualifying for the playoffs. Details on the upcoming matchup are listed below.
SuperMassive Blaze vs Fnatic: Who will finish top 3 in Group B of VCT Stage 1 EMEA Challengers?
Fnatic enters the matchup in great form. Based on their performance in the VCT EMEA Challengers so far, Fnatic have earned 2nd place on Group B's leaderboard.
Meanwhile, SuperMassive Blaze is yet to see their first victory of the tournament, and trail behind their peers at the bottom of Group B.
Prediction
After decisive wins against G2 Esports and BBL Esports in the early weeks of the tournament's Group Stage, Fnatic appear favorites to win the matchup.
Fnatic have been experimenting with their lineup, with players like Magnum and Boaster picking up new agents to accommodate Braveaf, one of their most recent additions. Their newest arrival, Tom "otom" Hart, is also expected to help the team in their attempts to reach the Stage 1 Masters.
SuperMassive Blaze's underwhelming performances over the last few weeks have led to 3 consecutive losses for the team. They lost all 3 of their VCT EMEA Challengers Group Stage matches on consecutive maps, without claiming a single map to their name. The Turkish side aim to call an end to this streak in their Week 5 match against Fnatic.
Head-to-head
The Week 5 matchup between SuperMassive Blaze and Fnatic will be the first-ever official encounter between the two sides.
Recent results
SuperMassive Blaze have lost all 3 of their Group Stage matches so far in the VCT EMEA Challengers. They have 2 wins in the last 5 matches.
Fnatic, on the other hand, won all of their Group Stage matches and enjoyed a great run. Their only loss in their last 5 matches was in their Valorant Champions 2021 quarter-finals exit.
Potential lineups
SuperMassive Blaze:
- Göktuğ "XiSTOU" Canciğer
- Burak "glovee" Yıldırım
- Eren "Brave" Kasırga
- Caner "CyderX" Demir
- Baran "Izzy" Yılmaz
Fnatic:
- Jake "Boaster" Howlett
- Nikita "Derke" Sirmitev
- James "Mistic" Orfila
- Martin "Magnum" Penkov
- Andrew "braveaf" Gorchakov
When and where to watch
The audience for VCT Stage 1 EMEA Challengers can catch the action live on Valorant's official handles across Twitch and YouTube. The match between SuperMassive Blaze and Fnatic will commence on March 11 at 8:30 PM IST.
