MSI 2026 Match Review – Team Liquid Alienware Versus Relove Deep Cross Gaming – DCG Eliminated from Contention
Team Liquid Alienware and Relove Deep Cross Gaming met in an MSI elimination match. TL had the upper hand for most of the series, winning 3-0. TL will face off against Karmine Corp in their next match. It will be the second consecutive elimination series that TL will need to play in.
MSI 2026: Game One Review
Draft
Team Liquid Alienware – Blue Side
- Ornn
- Xin Zhao
- Akali
- Varus
- Bard
Relove Deep Cross Gaming – First Pick
- Rumble
- Jarvan IV
- Cassiopeia
- Jhin
- Rakan
Fighting For Camps Early
DCG takes the early skirmish around Josededo’s Raptors. They win the fight and earn two kills. With Yeon not having Flash, Pop9 returns to the lane and earns another kill. DCG continues the aggression, but gives unnecessary kills. The gold stays even heading into the mid-game.
TL Control the Mid Game Fights
TL gets the early position on the Rift Herald. They secure the objective, and DCG arrives late. They lose two members, and TL gets their first gold lead of the game. Every mid-game play is in TL’s favor as they extend their lead.
Playing Methodical
TL does not overforce plays. They always look to fight when they have the advantage. Even with the Infernal Soul, they play slowly and choose to play for the Baron. They win on the Baron push and end game one.
Player Ratings
Team Liquid Alienware
- Morgan – 7
- Josedeodo – 8
- Quid – 8
- Yeon – 7
- CoreJJ – 8
Relove Deep Cross Gaming
- Flauren – 3
- Pop9 – 3
- HongSuo – 4
- Feng – 5
- ShiauC – 4
Player of the Game – CoreJJ
MSI 2026: Game Two Review
Draft
Team Liquid Alienware – Blue Side
- Twisted Fate
- Pantheon
- Ryze
- Ziggs
- Rell
Relove Deep Cross Gaming – Second Pick
- Gnar
- Olaf
- Taliyah
- Senna
- Nautilus
Early Bot Dive
Yeon and CoreJJ get the early push and better trade. That sets Josedeodo up to join his bot lane in a dive for the First Blood kill. The snowball starts rolling with a four-player play for TL. Josedeodo dies, but in trade for three DCG members.
Messy Third Drake Fight
Both teams make mistakes in the third Drake fight. The teams keep trading kills when they could stop fighting. Fortunately for TL, they get the Drake to deny the Soul point. The teams trade on the map as the gold difference does not change.
The Game Explodes
TL catch Pop9 and ShiauC on the facecheck for the fourth Drake. They overstay after taking the objective and win the fight. They translate the lead into a free Baron. TL breaks open the base, but they stay too long and give unnecessary kills.
TL Struggling to End
TL can not end cleanly, as they give DCG a chance to get back into the game. DCG chooses to fight for the Baron instead of defending, and they lose.
Player Ratings
Team Liquid Alienware
- Morgan – 4
- Josedeodo – 4
- Quid – 7
- Yeon – 7
- CoreJJ – 8
Relove Deep Cross Gaming
- Flauren – 3
- Pop9 – 5
- HongSuo – 4
- Feng – 6
- ShiauC – 3
Player of the Game – CoreJJ
MSI 2026: Game Three Review
Draft
Team Liquid Alienware
- Renekton
- Shyvana
- Viktor
- Lucian
- Renata Glasc
Relove Deep Cross Gaming
- Jax
- Wukong
- Orianna
- Kalista
- Renata Glasc
Action at Level 1
Feng and ShiauC play aggressively at level 1 to earn the First Blood kill on Yeon. ShiauC and Pop9 link up to burn Quid’s Flash right after. Josedeodo saves his bot lane with a gank, and all of a sudden, Yeon has a significant gold lead. The TL Jungler links up with his bot lane once more to kill ShiauC.
Another Explosive Game
Pop9 finally impacts the bot lane. Yeon and CoreJJ saw the Wukong but thought they could win the 2v3. The kills do not change the state of the bot lane as Josedeodo returns to zone Feng. The game explodes in an instant. Flauren dies again, while DCG goes for a bot lane play. Yeon and CoreJJ outplay the dive, and Quid shows up for a total of three kills.
Desperation Plays Do Not Prevent the Snowball
DCG sends four players to kill Morgan. They succeed, picking up the shutdown gold and the bounty from the tower. DCG sends another mid-lane play that fails. TL gets two kills and the Baron. TL wins one last fight to end the series.
MSI 2026: Series Ratings
Team Liquid
Morgan – 6.0
Morgan’s laning phase was not as dominant as yesterday, except for the Renekton game. His Twisted Fate was difficult to watch at times, especially with the way he used Destiny.
Josedeodo – 7.3
Besides the game two Pantheon, Josedeodo had a strong series. He ran the map on Shyvana. Without him, TL might have lost the third game.
Quid – 7.7
Quid had a solid series throughout. He rarely had any mistakes and delivered when his team needed him to.
Yeon – 7.0
Yeon improved from his performance against T1. He had more space to play the game. His first death on Lucian was a mistake, but he recovered well.
CoreJJ – 8.0 (Total Apex Player of the Series)
Josedeodo would have gotten player of the series if not for the Pantheon game. CoreJJ was dominant throughout and always found engagement angles.
Deep Cross Gaming
Flauren – 3.0
Flauren had another disappointing series. He did not deliver on his regular season performance. Morgan always had control over the lane.
Pop9 – 4.0
Pop9 has the mechanics to challenge most players in the tournament. However, he needs to learn when the best time for him to fight is.
HongSuo – 4.3
HongSuo was mostly solid, but had moments where he did it in unnecessary spots.
Feng – 4.7
The loss for DCG in the first two games was not Feng’s fault. He had a decent performance. However, he fought over one wave state in the third game that cost him his lead.
ShiauC – 3.0
ShiauC and Pop9 rarely connect on the map. If he plays with Pop9, there is a good chance DCG will have more success against teams.
More LoL Esports Content
Below is all the previous MSI content on Total Apex. You can expect more MSI articles in the following weeks.
- MSI Information
- MSI 2026 Team Liquid Alienware Preview
- MSI 2026 Relove Deep Cross Gaming Preview
- MSI 2026 TL Versus DCG Preview
