The group phase of the League of Legends World Championship 2018 lays behind us. Teams, players, coaches and of course fans now have time to pause until Saturday and digest what they have experienced to regaining energy for the LoL Worlds Quarterfinals. Obviously we have experienced a lot in this group phase – many surprises, or who has not thought behind closed doors that a maximum of ONE LCS team will make it into the playoffs. In the end, however, every group except Group C managed to send at least one team from the LCS into the playoffs. Team Liquid (Group C) was robbed of their chance to prove themselves in a tiebreaker because Edward Gaming surprisingly defeated KT. Nevertheless, hats off to you three: G2 Esports – Group A, Cloud 9 – Group B and of course Fnatic – Group D. All matches are now played according to the Bo5 elimination principle and there are no more excuses about daily performance. Substitutions have to be registered before each game as usual “blind”, i.e. without knowing the players pick of the opposing coach. For the playoffs it is now LPL, LCK and LCS! With a very strong Chinese region, these playoffs will take three teams from the LPL into the knockout phase – Edward Gaming, Invictus Gaming and of course Royal Never Give Up. The hosts can focus their hope on their two tournament favourites, KT Rolster and Afreeca Freecs. The latter definitely had some starting difficulties in the tournament, but were able to turn the tide on the all-decisive tournament day and now even qualified with the First Seed. Join us on October 20th – here for the livestream!

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Play-In Stage #1 > Play-In Stage #2 > Group Stage (A, B, C, D) > Quarterfinals > Semifinals > Grand Finals

LoL Quarterfinals 2018 Facts (World Championship Season 8) – Don´t miss the facts:

Schedule | Quarterfinals will bring 2 days of long awaited encounters

Quarterfinals – Day #1 – Saturday, October 20, 2018

Match #1: G2 Esports vs. Royal Never Give Up 3 : 2

Start Time: October 20, 09:00 AM PDT (previous day)/ 00:00 AM EDT / 06:00 CEST

Match #2: KT Rolster vs. Invictus Gaming 2 : 3

Start Time: October 20, 01:00 AM PDT / 04:00 AM EDT / 10:00 CEST

Quarterfinals – Day #2 – Saturday, October 21, 2018

Match #1: Afreeca Freecs vs. Cloud9 0 : 3

Start Time: October 21, 09:00 AM PDT (previous day)/ 00:00 AM EDT / 06:00 CEST

Match #2: Fnatic vs. Edward Gaming 3 : 1

Start Time: October 21, 01:00 AM PDT / 04:00 AM EDT / 10:00 CEST

LoL Betting and Odds for Quarterfinals 2018 – You know who will win?

Of course all betting sides provide odds for all matches. As always, you'll find a comparison of the best online betting sites right here – but for an always up-to-date version of the betting odds you'll need to follow the links to the websites of the League of Legends betting providers directly. Please note that these odds are subject to change due to unforeseen events! You can read more about the first betting odds for LoL Worlds 2018 here

Start Times shown in: GMT or GMT +1 during Summer Time

Betting Odds presented by bet365. The listed odds are intended as a guide only and are subject to change. Please check current LoL odds on the bet365 website before placing any bets. Read more about esports betting at Bet365

Preview and Predictions for the rising Group Stage Champions

Quarterfinals – Day #1 – Saturday, October 20, 2018

Match #1: vs. Royal Never Give Up

Start Time: October 20, 01:00 PM PDT (previous day)/ 04:00 AM EDT / 10:00 CEST

G2 Esports is facing Royal Never Give Up in the opening round of the quarterfinals. In seeding, one thing is clear: you have to face unwanted opponents sooner or later, but G2 would have preferred to play against a second seed. Although RNG do not leave the group stage undefeated, they are still the tournament favourites. My match prediction always has two components, the gut feeling and the statistics from the last 10 games. If we compare the tournament statistics from the group phase of both teams, you won't be surprised. KDA: RNG-ADC-Uzi: 8.8 vs. G2-ADC-Hijärnan: 4.2 or the important kill-participation and thus the impact of the Jungler; G2-JGL-Jankos 56,3% vs. RNG-JGL-Karsa with 67.3%. Only G2-Mid-Perkz is ahead of the opposing RNG-Mid-Xiaohu in CS per minute. Objectively, Royal Never Give Up has the best prerequisites for a victory. Nevertheless, it's this underdog position that G2 Esports plays into the cards. Maybe we will see a Hjärnan Heimerdinger again, or a full Carry Matchup – it remains exciting. So some variable stay in the game, but in the end it won't be enough to beat the individual lanedominance 0f RNG and I'm betting on a 3:2 win for Royal Never Give Up!

Match #2: KT Rolster vs. Invictus Gaming

Start Time: October 20, 09:00 AM PDT / 00:00 AM EDT / 06:00 CEST

KT Rolster will play against Invictus Gaming in the second Bo5 of the first matchday day. The former are known to be the host country's great hope and can look back on an excellent group phase. KT reached the first seed in Group C with a regular 5v1 in standings and had only lost the game against Edward Gaming (LPL), who won the second seed without having to face Team Liquid with a tiebreaker . Now the two greats of their respective regions encounters each other. We also remember the last encounter of the two, at the Rift Rivals 2018, in which KT first destroyed the Lanes and then the IG Nexus with a considerable gold advantage of 10 K and a killing-spree Kt-Ucal-Aatrox on the Midlane. Undoubtable IG can trust their 3 Carries with JackeyLove, TheShy (who always likes to surprise us with a Ryze) and of course Hypercarry RooKie, BUT as State Farm Analyst Desk Commentator Papasmithy already said, it's not enough to win the Lanes, their teamplay is lagging behind. That's also why IG lost their first seed in Group D to Fnatic, who consistently swept across the map in the 5-man squad and was able to “bait” Invictus Gaming in fights again and again or could pick a lonely AD-Carry in minute 30 far from base without vision and any backup close by. It is precisely these weakness that must be repaired in order to become world champions. I don't think IG can win the game and I'm betting on a 3-1 win for KT Rolster.

Quarterfinals – Day #2 – Saturday, October 21, 2018

Match #1: Afreeca Freecs vs. Cloud9

Start Time: October 21, 09:00 AM PDT (previous day)/ 00:00 AM EDT / 06:00 CEST

The Afreeca Freecs are playing against Cloud9. The miracle of Busan, or whatever you want to call it – KT Rolster is out, the biggest hope of the Koreans is eliminated. Now it is: Afreeca Freecs from LCK against Cloud9 from LCS!

Afreeca Freecs: Now all eyes are on the Afreeca Freecs. The memories that the Freecs weren't doing well in the beginning should also come up painfully. In an interview with Top-Lanes Kiin, he also spoke openly about the problems coming up with reaching the group stage. The team has qualified for the Worlds for the first time and suddenly a (never before seen) attention breaks over the team. Unfortunately the team got too carried away at the beginning and talked more about communication than about League of Legends. Only in the second phase of the Robin Round, the team has regained its Macro ability and is now probably considered the most underestimated team of all. In the game against Cloud9, two play styles are meet. Afreeca Freecs has played all their games more or less conservatively – low kill, gold balance equal or only with little advantage over the opponents and a rather conservative matchup. Only Toplaner AFs-Kiin surprised me with a Jax (victory over PVB), Ryze, Alkali, Sion and Irelia, but unfortunately he couldn't build up a snowball in low kill matches. I think, should it come to a Lategame, the Afreeca Freecs have the better players and the better tactics for a victory.

Cloud9: Our representatives from the LCS have really grown. In the group phase they did the before believed impossible and in a group with MSI champion Royal Never Give up, world champion Gen.G Esports and LCS rival Team Vitality they achieved a second seed. Especially C9-Licorice has learned to stay with the game and in the last game on Hecarim he managed to find his way back into the game despite extreme mistakes and that's why Cloud9 made it to the next round. Cloud9 has his Odysee behind them. The cloud has flown from the last place in the Summer Split table, to a second place in the Summer Playoffs Final, to the Regional Qualifier Tournament and has now made it to the quarter finals. C9-Licorice, Blaber, Svenskeren, Jensen, Sneaky and Zeyzal will consider a strategy to disrupt the safe play of AF.

Prediction: A very difficult game to predict as the Afreeca Freecs seem to have changed since the group stage second half. Here my gut feeling tells me that the hopefuls from Korea still have a few jokers in the back and it will be the 3:2 victory of the Afreeca Freecs.

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Match #2: Fnatic vs. Edward Gaming

Start Time: October 21, 01:00 AM PDT / 04:00 AM EDT / 10:00 CEST

Fnatic will face Edward Gaming in the final game of the quarter-finals. Fnatic comes here with the First Seed and from the leading position in Group D and plays against Edward Gaming, who secured the Second Seed in Group C.

Fnatic: With an opening win in the group stage and a terrible defeat against Invictus Gaming on Group D's second matchday, I have relativised Fnatic's chances, like many of the analysts. Nevertheless, Fnatic won 5 games in a row and beat Invictus Gaming twice in a row (+Tiebreaker). Now they have found a seemingly safe place in the final and in response to the open question about the gap between LCK/LPL and LCS, one can say with more emphasis – eye level! Fnatic has with Bwipo a real backup Joker and with Caps a glorious Carry in the middle. The Botlane with Rekkles and Hylissang has proven its continuity and performance now regionally and internationally several times. In the shadow of 4 Carry-Laners, the support often gets too little attention. Before Fnatic, Hylissang had played for the UOL, who have little success in the league and are far away from a world qualification. Now he is with Fnatic on the way to world champion and the team has shown me many playing styles. Individual land deficits are cleverly concealed with the best macroplay of this world championship. In a BO5 Fnatic will be hard to defeat and I see best chances for a victory over Edward Gaming.

Edward Gaming: With a solid performance in the group phase, the team, as I said, has flown under radar and has not yet received the attention it deserves. Let's look at Midlaner Scout, for example. From a statistical point of view he is one of the top 3 midlaners of the tournament and his aggressive, individual plays can compete with those of Caps. Therefore, we are looking forward to a match of two “equal” Midlaners, so there will be probably many decides out of the middle. The team's motto is revealing: “You don't have to start as the best team in the Worlds, but you have to win it as the best team”. The only question that remains is how they will react to the many faces of Fnatic who, as soon as a Lane loses, simply drive a different strategy.

Prediction: In a Bo1 I wouldn't be so sure, but in 5 possible games, I don't see any scenario in which EWG can win the game. I'm predicting a clear victory for Fnatic. Therefore the score at the end will be 3:1 for Fnatic.

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