First Stand 2025 Opening Matches: Preview and Predictions

The first edition of the new international tournament, First Stand, is set to begin this Monday, March 10th. There, the champions from each major league across the world will battle it out until only one team is left standing: the champion among champions.

The opening matches of the Group Stage at First Stand 2025 have been revealed, and there are plenty of reasons to be excited about the start of the tournament. Let’s go ahead and dive into everything we can expect from the opening matches of First Stand.

Team Liquid vs Karmine Corp [Monday, March 10th – 12 am PT / 9 am CET]

What better way to start the tournament than by adding a new chapter to the NA vs EU rivalry. The question has to be asked, though, can North America hold their ground this time around?

Karmine Corp did the unthinkable when they defeated, or rather, dominated G2 Esports to win the 2025 LEC Winter Season, displaying some great League of Legends along the way. Much like their rivals, Team Liquid swept the LTA finals to win the championship, though against a weaker 100 Thieves squad.

With the levels of play showcased by both teams, Karmine Corp should have the upper hand coming into the matchup. Experience, however, lies heavily in Team Liquid's favor. The North American team has two former World Champions in their squad: Jung "Impact" Eon-yeong and Jo "CoreJJ" Yong-in. Karmine Corp, on the other hand, has put up a roster that makes up for its lack of experience with individual prowess and playmaking capabilities.

What should perhaps be Karmine Corp's biggest asset against Team Liquid, however, will come in the jungle. Swedish star Martin "Yike" Sundelin has now won an incredible 7 consecutive LEC titles, proving his worth as one of, if not the single best jungler in the region.

On the other side of the matchup stands Team Liquid's Eom "UmTi" Seong-hyeon, a jungler who has struggled in North America as of late. Now, going face to face against some of the best junglers in the world at First Stand, UmTi will need to step up his game or risk letting Yike run the show for Karmine Corp from early on in the matchup.

With Karmine Corp looking like the great Western hope at First Stand, 80% of the Strafe fans voted for the LEC team to win their opening match against Team Liquid.

Hanwha Life Esports vs Top Esports [Monday, March 10th – 3 am PT / 12 pm CET]

Both Hanwha Life Esports and Top Esports come into First Stand 2025 having played 20 playoff games in their respective leagues to start the year. Despite the long grind, the two teams were worthy winners of the LCK Cup and LPL Split 1, respectively.

Now, the opening day of First Stand will see the two teams face off in what could well be a preview of the Grand Finals. With such a tough matchup to start things off, both teams will want to bring their A-game in search of making a statement straight out of the gates.

Hanwha Life looks to have the edge over Top Esports after coming from an incredibly competitive LCK Cup. For the South Korean squad to gain the edge over Top Esports, however, they will need to make the most of their superior laning, especially in the top and mid lanes.

Reigning World Champion Choi "Zeus" Woo-je should have the upper hand over Jiahao "369" Bai, as the Chinese player has spent a long time trying to get back to his former heights. In the mid lane, few players in the world are more clutch than Kim "Zeka" Geon-woo. His opposing mid laner, Jian "Creme" Lin, lacks the same level of experience on the international stage, and should struggle to keep up with Zeka's playmaking.

Though this should be a close and explosive matchup, we expect Hanwha Life to take the win in the end. This sentiment is reflected by the Strafe votes, as 82% of fans believe Hanwha Life Esports will take this match.

Ready for First Stand 2025?

Don't miss out on any of the action at the game's new international tournament when First Stand 2025 kicks off on Monday, March 10th. To catch all of the opening games, tune in to the official First Stand official Twitch and YouTube channels on the day, beginning 9 am CET.

Make sure to visit your full First Stand 2025 guide to find out everything you need to know about the tournament, including the complete list of co-streamers.

Follow Strafe Esports for all the latest League news and our X account for the latest content and coverages. Also, stay tuned to Strafe YouTube for exclusive interviews, press conferences, and more.

Featured image credit: Michal Konkol/Riot Games

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