Cloud9 vs Team Dignitas

Next up, we have Cloud9 taking on Dignitas QNTMPAY. Not the most exciting of match-ups, but a promising clash nonetheless. It's no secret that Cloud9 have been underperforming ever since the Summer Split began. They still had a few spectacular moments and games in which they blew our minds, but those instances were too few and far between to actually warrant our full benefit of the doubt. We know they're amongst the best teams in the LCS — they're just not playing like one right now. And, well, there's more than enough time for them to right the ship and go on a deep run in the playoffs, but it's getting a bit too close for comfort.

Dignitas, on the other hand, are currently the biggest gatekeepers of the LCS which, in all fairness, is quite a solid spot for the boys in black and yellow. The fact that they're still mighty competitive despite making two hugely important roster changes is a true testament to their resilience and preparation, so credit where credit is due. They're not going to upset the status quo any time soon, but they're trying their hardest and deserve to be praised for it, no doubt.

Who'll win here tonight is anyone's guess. Cloud9 are favored and, well, they're the defending champions for a reason, but after seeing them lose to FlyQuest's Academy line-up, one simply has to get a bit worried. It was not a good showing, needless to say. In fact, it was quite embarrassing. Whether it was just a one-off thing or an indication that it's time to sound the alarms still remains to be seen. Be that as it may, they're probably angry at themselves and want to find a bit of redemption after getting smacked around on the Rift. Losing is often inevitable, but dropping games to Academy teams, in short, is unacceptable, especially for a team of Cloud9's caliber.

So we're hoping they'll get on the same page and execute. They cannot afford to drop any more games as both Team Liquid and Evil Geniuses are hot on their tail. In fact, the margin for error has shrunk so much that it's pretty much non-existent. Now is the time for Cloud9 to step up and make their fans proud -- otherwise we might be seeing a new champion get crowned in a couple of weeks' time!