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Evil Geniuses battled against Team Liquid for the final upper bracket berth in Group D at the Dota 2 DreamLeague Leipzig Major. The series went the distance, but EG came out on top 2-1.

EG did not have an easy time in the series. While they won games one and three, both were drawn-out affairs in which Liquid maintained an early lead. The North American squad showed true grit as they persevered down the stretch.

The first game saw Liquid go for Alchemist and Ember Spirit in a bid to up the tempo. EG secured their teamfight with a classic Naga Siren and Disruptor combo.

Liquid’s Alchemist shot up the net worth charts, almost inevitably. Liquid managed to accumulate a gold lead in the beginning, but EG were able to turn it around with a few impeccable Song of the Siren setups.

Another huge Naga Siren setup gives us the victory in Game 1 of this pivotal series!



One more win will land us in the Upper Bracket of the DreamLeague Major! #LIVEEVIL https://t.co/aZxn68Zuaz pic.twitter.com/m6soAOt3jD — Evil Geniuses (@EvilGeniuses) January 19, 2020

Game two saw Liquid go for speed once again, but this time with a Lone Druid to demolish structures. EG’s commitment to the late game with Morphling and Outworld Devourer could not stand up to Liquid’s overwhelming might.

The third game saw Liquid jump to another early lead. Liquid’s Michael “miCKe” Vu feasted on the offlane Venomancer picked to counter him, turning the carry hero into a menace on the field.

“Abed” Yusop’s Templar Assassin was key to turning things around for EG. The Filipino superstar exploded in the later stages of the game and secured the marathon series and a upper bracket slot for EG.

.@Arteezy's Slark is going ham in Game 3, cleaning up all of Dire's cores in this fight! #LIVEEVIL https://t.co/aZxn68Zuaz pic.twitter.com/yNrpHicFB7 — Evil Geniuses (@EvilGeniuses) January 19, 2020

EG took the long route to the main event, playing eight games out of the possible nine. Thankfully for fans of the team, EG’s efforts have been rewarded with an upper bracket berth while Liquid will fall to the lower bracket and will face possible elimination in a best-of-one matchup.

EG have been on the up-and-up since their roster revamp. Their first showing at a Dota Pro Circuit event saw them achieve fourth place at the MDL Chengdu Major, followed by a runners-up placement at the ONE Esports Dota 2 World Pro Invitational Singapore. Having not won a premier event since the DOTA Summit Nine in 2018, EG will hope that this could be the tournament to break their trophyless streak.

Liquid’s 10-game win streak through the Leipzig Major qualifiers was instantly shattered when they played their first game at the LAN tournament. While they’ve played some brilliant games, their unstable drafts have seen them unable to capitalize on their mechanical skills and teamplay. Should they manage to sort their drafting problems out before the start of the main event, Liquid remains a scary team to face.