NaVi beats Team Heretics on day 9 of the VCT EMEA 2023

After two weeks of VCT EMEA 2023, NaVi and Team Heretics opened the ball of this new competition week. Currently second in the ranking, NaVi defeated the Spanish after an explosive match.

After their defeat against KOI, NaVi has been winning ever since. After winning their previous two games, against Giants and BBL Esports respectively, the team will take on Heretics. The Spaniards, on the other hand, have struggled to shine in the first few weeks of the VCT EMEA. Heretics met the best European teams, namely Fnatic and FUT Esports, games that ended in defeats. The team has only won one match so far, the one against the Karmine Corp.

The meeting starts on Pearl and from the very first rounds NaVi sets the pace. Such a domination that the team perfectly controls the ground, including the middle of the map, a strategic place. NaVi plays around the skills of Gekko, a pick appreciated by NaVi. The team does not hesitate to use Wingman to plant the spike to allow ANGE1 to participate in on-site entries. In addition, Zyppan and cNed are performing very well in the first half. With an ACS of 328 and 314, the two players have a real impact during the offensives and the team scores a 9-3 to the change of side.

In Defence, the accuracy of Zyppan prevents Team Heretics from winning the first round. Since then, NaVi has not let the Spaniards have any respite, countering all their offensives. The team then won on a solid 13-3 on the first map.

With such a dominance, it is likely that NaVi will also win the second map. But Team Heretics had not said its last word. And it is once on Lotus that the team dominates NaVi in Attack. The Spaniards went on to win several rounds thanks to a remarkable team effort to enter the sites. NaVi is overwhelmed by the speed of execution and coordination of their opponents. Their opponents vary their strategies, alternating between fast offensives and slower starters. As a result, the team only scored two rounds on this first side.

Against all odds, NaVi is picking up the pace in Attack. So much so that the team scored five rounds in a row. The Spanish players were unable to win their duels and were overwhelmed by NaVi's double initiator-double controller composition. Nevertheless, Team Heretics managed to defuse the spike on three occasions thanks to the Neon of keloqz and the Killjoy of Boo. Despite an impressive comeback by NaVi, the team lost to Team Heretics by a score of 9-12.

The end of this meeting is played out on Ascent. From the very first rounds, the NaVi players show what they are capable of in Defence. By alternating their positions in each round, the players prevent Team Heretics from executing their plans to enter the sites. With a KD of 22/3 in the first half, Shao dominates the Spaniards without difficulty. Accompanied by Zyppan, he is unstoppable. Thus, the Spaniards are overtaken and the first side ends on a 11-1 for NaVi.

With such a big lead, NaVi only needs two more rounds to win the match. Team Heretics scores the pistol round but NaVi doesn't intend to stop there. As usual, NaVi players are buying sheriffs to prevent Team Heretics from scoring the next round. Keloqz, the Spanish Jett is stopped in the middle of the map, leaving his team without a duelist. NaVi wins this crucial round and breaks the economy of his opponents. Doomed, Team Heretics tries to fight back in the last round only for NaVi to eliminate each of the players and win this third map in 13-2.

NaVi will face Karmine Corp in a week's time, on 21st April at 6pm. As for Team Heretics, their next match will take place on 19th April at 8pm against Team Liquid. To follow the next matches live, you can find the French cast on the Twitch channel of the French League.