In their first season, Eintracht Spandau managed to shake up the German “League of Legends” scene, even qualifying for the European Masters. But after just four games in the group stage, elimination was confirmed. However, they put on a real fireworks display in the last two matches.
What is Eintracht Spandau all about?
- In November 2021, YouTuber HandOfBlood announced plans to establish the team Eintracht Spandau in e-sports. They took over a spot in the highest German league – the Strauss Prime League.
- However, the first matches in the Spring Split did not go well. After four consecutive losses, the team was in last place.
- But then came the first victories, and the team played a stunning second half of the season. Eintracht Spandau won 8 out of 9 games, all with the same strategy. This was enough to secure 2nd place and qualify for the EU Masters.
- In the European tournament, the team aimed to reach at least the quarter-finals, as head coach nRated revealed in an interview. But it ended before then.
Eintracht Spandau surprisingly defeats the best team in the group
How did the group stage go? The debut on the international stage was good. Right in the first match, HandOfBlood’s team defeated Crvena zvezda Esports, a Serbian team.
However, they then faced their first defeat against the group favorite: Vitality.Bee, the French development team of Vitality, who had recently made headlines in the LEC with a super team. Particularly frustrating here: The German team dominated the first 30 minutes but then lost a fight for the Baron and thus the game.
Match number three was then to be decisive. It was against the Polish team AGO Rogue, the junior team of Rogue. Even here, Spandau was ahead until minute 12, but from then on, Rogue dictated the game. This resulted in a second loss.
Learn more about Eintracht Spandau and the idea behind the team in this podcast episode:
Match number four was the decider. It was again against AGO Rogue. The start of the game was very quiet, with no kills in the first 8 minutes. Then, Eintracht Spandau played very aggressively and lost a team fight where they even attacked the bot lane under their tower.
Nevertheless, the match remained balanced for long stretches. At minute 20, the gold difference was only 1,500, even in favor of the German team. However, another fight at the Baron brought about a turnaround for Rogue. In the end, Rogue won the match, and with the now fourth victory of Vitality.Bee, it was clear: Eintracht Spandau was out.
Spandau defeats the team in 1st place – Shows what could have been
How did the team perform after elimination? Very strong. In the penultimate match against Vitality.Bee, the group winner, there was an open exchange of blows, slightly favoring Eintracht Spandau. At minute 24, a team fight around the Baron occurred, which Spandau did not throw away this time, but won. Three kills, a Baron buff, and several towers were the reward.
Eintracht Spandau managed to give Vitality.Bee their only loss in the group stage.
They also went on to defeat the Serbian team Crvena zvezda Esports again, who ended the group stage with 0 wins and 6 losses. In the end, their inability to win a match against AGO Rogue prevented them from advancing.
What’s next for Eintracht Spandau? In June 2022, the Summer Split of the Prime League begins. There, the teams will once again compete for entry into the regional playoffs to qualify for the EU Masters in the summer.
If you check the Twitter accounts of the members of Eintracht Spandau, they are already hot for the summer tournaments. There, they want to qualify for the EU Masters again and show what they are made of. After all, they are a completely new organization with a completely new team, as Johannes Gorzel, the co-CEO of I3, stated (via Twitter).
Only one German team makes it to the playoffs
How did it go for the other German teams? In the group stage, besides Eintracht Spandau, there were also two other German teams. GamerLegion, however, also failed in 3rd place in their group B, losing to the French team Karmine Corp and the British team X7 Esports.
Only Unicorns of Love Sexy Edition managed to advance with 4 wins and 2 losses. They are the only team representing the Prime League in the playoffs.
Did you follow the EU Masters and the Prime League? What do you think of the LoL scene below the major leagues like LEC and LCK? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.
For those interested in the champions in League of Legends, here is the first information about the upcoming champs:
LoL gives hints about the next 3 new champs – All could come in 2022
