Image credit: LoL Esports
Cloud9 took down MAD Lions once again to get the perfect start to the Swiss Stage of Worlds 2023.
The LCS second seed, Cloud9 came out on top in its opening fixture against MAD Lions to go through to the next round of the Swiss Stage at Worlds 2023. In a fourth meeting between the two sides, Cloud9's latest victory now gives them a 3-1 scoreline against MAD, which also goes a long way in the 'LCS versus LEC' conversation.
But unlike the bloodbath from the T1 versus Team Liquid series, C9 was had greater control over the match against MAD, which was evident from the start of the game. C9 was able to subdue MAD's ganking capabilities to a minimum while also being able to keep themselves alive during teamfights. This left MAD with just three kills the entire game to go with four turrets and a sole drake.
And the fire dragon take from MAD would end up costing them a lot more as that was C9's opening to take the Baron, which further increased their hold of the match. C9 had a near flawless execution of its gameplan that also had Min-cheol "Berserker" Kim's Xayah chip in with five kills, which was half of C9's overall kill count.
Ibrahim "Fudge" Allami also chipped in with four kills of his own on Jax. Both him and Berserker were the only two players to have double kills of their own as well, which further showcased C9's ability to take control of majority of the game.
That win will put C9 in a good place for the second match, which now includes the likes of T1 and and Gen.G Esports. C9 do not have a great record against either team, having lost both encounters against T1 last year while also being on a 3-1 deficit against Gen.G. However, there is still a long way to go in the Swiss Stage, which is hopefully enough time for C9 to gain enough of a footing to qualify for the Knockout Stage.
As for MAD, they will have another chance in the lower side of the second round, which will include another LCS org in Team Liquid and GAM Esports of the VCS. Both MAD and Liquid have faced one another over the years with the latter having the edge at 2-1. If they were to draw GAM, it would be a first-ever meeting between the two sides.
