eChampions League group stage: Five things we learned

The road to Istanbul is officially under way after the eChampions League group stage delivered two days of spectacular action to determine the 32 knockout contenders.

There was no shortage of goals or drama, but here are the five main talking points from the EA SPORTS FIFA 23 Global Series event.

Emre Yilmaz is coming for the trophy

Day one brought plenty of big names to London, but only one player stood above them undefeated with a perfect 5-0 record: Emre Yilmaz.

Hailing his mentality as the secret to his success, he was also quick to praise Team Gullit for setting him up for success with their help in his preparations. The Dutchman with Turkish descent also says the fact that the finals will be held in Istanbul gives him extra motivation to go all the way. It would take something special to stop him if this form continues.

Emre Yilmaz has his eyes set on the title after dominating Group A©Joe Brady

Nobody is safe

With so many world-class players in attendance, some big-name casualties were inevitable. In a competition of this calibre, no player is guaranteed to progress – and that was confirmed by former eWorld Cup winner Mohammed "MoAuba" Harkous.

Joining him on the eliminated list was the extremely talented Corentin "Maestro" Thuillier, who had a brutal draw, facing two of the best players in the world in Donovan "Tekkz" Hunt and reigning eChampions League champion Nicolás "Nicolas99fc" Villalba.

After losing to both, one more loss spelled an early exit, yet he was paired with last year's eChampions League runner-up, Matías "MatiasBonanno99" Bonanno. A penalty and a man advantage from the resulting red card weren't enough as MatiasBonanno99 was able to make it 5-5 on aggregate and then win in a penalty shoot-out.

Maestro could barely hide his disappointment, while MatiasBonanno99's heroics did not prevent him from elimination in the next round.

Vejrgang lived up to the hype

Verjgang’s 1v1 offline event debut was a resounding success©Joe Brady

From travelling around Denmark as a 13-year-old competing in small halls for headsets to making his offline 1v1 debut in the eChampions League four years later, Anders "Vejrgang" Vejrgang began the tournament with monumental expectation on his shoulders.

Yet, the Leipzig player – who is well known on the scene for his ludicrous 535-game winning streak in FUT Champions back in FIFA 21 – looked like a natural on stage as he maintained a perfect 5-0 record on day two while entertaining viewers with his celebrations. We could be looking at a rather special talent.

Nicolas99fc is ready to defend his title

The reigning champion battled his way into the knockouts©Joe Brady

To the surprise of nobody, defending champion Nicolás "Nicolas99fc" Villalba progressed to the knockouts, but it was far from easy.

He was pushed to the limit in his opening game by ePremier League champion Jack "GoalPoacher" Wignall. He likely would have lost, too, but two superb clearances off the line and some sensational goalkeeper movement meant he narrowly escaped with the win.

He did eventually taste defeat at the hands of Fouad "Rafsou" Fares but was still able to qualify by beating Jorge "Jrg15" Paniagua, who had defeated Tekkz earlier in the day.

Goals galore in the East

Finally, both groups brought entertainment but, as Mike LaBelle and Jaime "Gravesen" Álvarez noted on the broadcast, there seemed to be a playstyle difference between the two.

Group A did deliver goals, yet there were some tight games with very few chances. In contrast, Group B – made up mostly of Italian and German players – delivered relentless high-scoring games with less focus on defending.

It will be fascinating to see what happens when the West's controlled style is pitted against the East's unwavering offence in the knockout stage.

Group B brought the attacking flair©Joe Brady