We are now midway through the Knockout Stage, with Weibo Gaming and BiliBili Gaming already securing their spots in the semifinals. This Saturday, the action continues as the remaining teams fight for their place. In today's high-stakes, best-of-five quarterfinal, Top Esports (TES), the second seed from the LPL, will face off against T1, the reigning World champions. These teams have already clashed once in the Swiss Stage, and now they meet again, but this time the loser faces elimination and an early flight home.

TES must beware of the sleeping wolf

T1 and TES faced off earlier this year at the 2024 Mid-Season Invitational (MSI), where T1 claimed a decisive 3-1 victory. However, when they met again in the first round of the Worlds 2024 group stage, it was TES who came out on top, handing T1 a disappointing defeat. This loss followed a tough Summer Split for T1, where they only secured their Worlds qualification in the regional finals after a dramatic five-game series against KT Rolster.

Since then, T1 has been in much better form, as if Worlds continuously brings out their best. Each player has improved at their respective roles, and T1 has not lost a single game since their stumble against TES. Key to their resurgence has been Mun "Oner" Hyeon-jun, whose early-game playmaking has been pivotal to their success. Individually and as a team, T1 has regained their clutch factor.

On the other side, TES has also had a strong run in the tournament. After defeating T1, they dismantled Fnatic with ease and took down Dplus KIA, showcasing their dominance over LCK teams. However, they were handed a heavy loss by Gen.G. With T1 known for rising to the occasion in high-stakes matches, especially with this particular roster, their upcoming best-of-five promises to be much closer than it might seem on paper.

Matchups details

T1 can rely on a standout performance from one of the best, if not the best toplaner in the World Choi "Zeus" Woo-je, who was phenomenal against G2, thriving in the current meta and offering a unique answer to Jax with his game-changing Gragas pick.

He will be up against another toplane legend, Bai "369" Jia-Hao, who enters the match seeking revenge—Zeus knocked him out in the semifinals of Worlds in both 2022 and 2023, each time with a 3-1 scoreline. He faces the daunting challenge of breaking T1’s incredible track record, as the team has never failed to reach at least the semifinals at Worlds, nor have they ever lost to an LPL team in a best-of-three or best-of-five series at the tournament.

To help 369 break the curse and seek revenge, he can lean on Lin "Creme" Jian, who currently boasts the highest damage per minute in the tournament (846). According to our rating on Sheep Stats, Creme is also the second-highest rated midlaner with a score of 74/100. His support, Tian "Meiko" Ye, ranks as the best in his role with 79/100, while Gao "Tian" Tian-Liang holds the highest rating of the entire tournament with an impressive 82/100. It’s now up to them to prove these numbers are no fluke.

But if there’s one team that can defy the odds, it’s T1—still seen as a favorite with the meta now in their favor and each member of the ZOFGK lineup poised to deliver in what could be their final Worlds run together. Tune in today at 14:00 CET for a series that promises to make history.