Chinese teams and anxious teamfights, a combination that was typical of the Chinese Dota 2 region last season, were once again highlighted when two of the best squads in the region played their first series on the Dota Pro Circuit (DPC) 2021-22. PSG.LGD and Team Aster put on a thrilling show, but the former emerged victorious after three intense matches. After being outplayed massively in the first game and trailing on the back foot in the early part of the second one, PSG.LGD found itself on the verge of a 2-0 loss before summoning its remarkable teamfighting skills to win the second and third games to take a 2-1 series win.
PSG.LGD vs Team Aster: Match Recap and Highlights
Recap
In game 1, PSG.LGD's lack of match practice was evident, as the players continued to die. It was clear that PSG.LGD was rusty from the laning phase until the end, making moves usually uncharacteristic of its gameplay. On the other hand, Team Aster was on point with its gameplay, and with the exception of one teamfight, it gave very little room to allow PSG.LGD to come back into the fold. With a favorable scoreline of 50-18, Team Aster eventually won in 50 minutes.
In game two, both teams focused their drafts on the mid game. Team Aster once again played the lanes better, leading by more than 4k in 15 minutes. In the teamfights that ensued, both teams exchanged blows and the lead stagnated at 4k. In the end, it came down to one crucial battle in which PSG.LGD wiped out the enemies with no heroes lost and won in 32 minutes.
Game 3 was the closest out of the three. Despite giving away kills, PSG.LGD was efficient in farming the map. Team Aster, courtesy of its Hand of Midas Doom, pushed ahead in networth but PSG.LGD kept it in check and even took a lane of Barracks. No team emerged as a clear winner amongst all the teamfights between the two squads. PSG.LGD’s teamfight finally became overwhelming for Team Aster at 54 minutes with an Aghanim's Scepter on Ame's Wraith King, a double Ravage from y's Tidehunter, and NothingToSay's Tinker flying around with his plethora of spells and items. The team forced diebacks from nearly all of Team Aster's heroes to win the game.
Highlights
Here are some highlights of the series.
While PSG.LGD might not have been at its best in the matchup against Team Aster today, such a hiccup was to be expected given the break the team had over the past couple of months. Additionally, in this series, the team's ability to come back from a deficit early on is an indicator of its gameplay prowess and mental fortitude.
Team Aster, despite looking solid and being on the verge of victory, failed to hold on at the end. Their laning was particularly impressive and despite some changes last month, the team appears to be in good shape.
PSG.LGD’s next series in the DPC China 2021-22 Tour 1: Division will be against Phoenix Gaming on 4th Jan 2022 while Team Aster faces Vici Gaming on 7th Jan 2022.
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