Team Liquid enter this match in a very shaky form, having won only one game in their last five outings, which includes losses against Team BDS (2-3), Singularity (2-3), Triple Trouble (1-3) and Endpoint (1-3). That said, Fadeaway are not in a much better spot and hold the same 1-4 record in 2021.

On a more positive note, Fadeaway have looked slightly better in their last two outings with a 3-0 sweep of Oxygen Esports and a narrow 2-3 loss against Guild Esports. If Fadeaway can enter this match with the same fire they have shown in their recent bouts, it is not entirely unlikely they can surprise Liquid and claim an upset win.

The massive gap between the Rocket League betting odds for this match is hard to explain. Although Oxygen Esports won their most recent clash with FC Barcelona in November (2-3), it was a very tight affair, which makes it hard to argue the French squad are as strong as the odds would suggest.

What’s more, Oxygen are 1-4 in their last five outings, with only one 3-0 win against 9113. That is significantly worse than FCB’s 4-1 record, which includes a narrow 2-3 loss against Team BDS.

Although there are arguments to be made Oxygen field better players, their current form makes it hard to side with them. At $2.63 with the top esports betting sites, FCB are a great value bet we can’t pass on.

For our first two Rocket League esports betting predictions, we have sided with the outsiders for a chance at a higher payout, however, that does not seem like the best idea for this match. Although Rix.GG can have their occasional flashes of greatness, it’s hard to look past their six-game losing streak – and most importantly Solarity’s six-game winning streak.

These teams have faced mostly the same opponents in that stretch and since Solary have won the games Rix.GG lost, it’s easy to figure out how this game will go. Solary are clearly in great form and if their wins against Giants Gaming (4-1) and Vitality Renault (3-1) are any indication, they should defeat Rix.GG with at least two goals to spare.

The French club joins AS Monaco, FC Barcelona, Boavista, Celtic and Schalke 04 for the inaugural edition of Konami’s Pro Evolution Soccer esports competition.

Founded by Barca star Gerard Pique, the eFootball.Pro League made waves earlier this year when the Blaugrana signed on for the maiden season.

It has been slow going since then, however, with many of Europe’s top clubs opting for rival soccer games and their respective esports leagues.

Pro Evo has always played second fiddle to the EA Sports FIFA series, and the situation is much the same in the professional gaming landscape.

EA Sports runs the eWorld Cup and has partnership deals with the English Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga, Ligue 1 and Major League Soccer, among others.

The feather in Pro Evo’s cap was exclusive rights to the UEFA Champions League, but that was blown away with last week’s announcement that the eChampions League will launch on FIFA next year.

Konami also operates the PES League – a global tournament featuring regional qualifiers from all over the world.

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eFootball.Pro, which was founded by former international star Gerard Pique and boasts Javier Alonso as a director, is due to kick off in the next few weeks with the inclusion of Barca a huge boast for the competition which will feature other pro teams from around Europe.

Barca Vice President of Marketing and Communications Mane Arroyo said it was important for his club to remain innovative despite the club’s undoubted success on the football pitch.

“Bar?a is attentive to what happens in this global and technological world, and in view of the important growth of eSports, it is opening the way to also being a leader in this field,” he said.

“FC Barcelona, ??in keeping with its innovative spirit, has decided to participate in a pioneering competition in the world of eSports, by the best partners, Konami and eFootball.Pro. We are confident that this competition will continue to make members and culers from all over the world, as well as followers of eSports, proud.”

Pique said the opportunity to involve his former club in his passion for esports was a dream come true and expected them to be very competitive in the fledgling competition.

“As a player, I’m excited that my club has decided to enter eSports and joins this innovative project that we are preparing together with KONAMI,” he said.

“Bar?a will be able to contribute their values ??to the competition and I am sure they will be a great rival for the rest of the teams. For our part, from eFootball.Pro, we join the Club in this new adventure in the digital world and we will guide them so that they can make their fans feel as they do with the rest of their sports.”

For Konami it represents another opportunity to connect with a different crowd, with Pro Evolution Soccer the chief rival to FIFA in the gaming world. Finding itself with a global powerhouse like Barcelona on its books excites its Brand and Business Manager Jonas Lygaard.

As part of the agreement Konami and PES will have exclusive access to things like name rights to Barcelona’s home ground, Nou Camp, something that FIFA is not allowed to use. It is unclear how much Konami has paid for this right, although it is a significant sum.

“We are extremely excited to have one of the best clubs in the world, FC Barcelona, ??joining the league and for the first time entering the eSports market with the Pro Evolution Soccer platform,” he said.

“This agreement will allow us to be at another professional level and will give fans the opportunity to compete and officially represent FC Barcelona in one of the best global venues.”

La Liga, the league Barcelona plays in, has also announced it will enter eSports with it coming about as part of the “It’s not football, it’s LaLiga” campaign with the primary focus being on football competitions.

The competition hopes it will help continue to grow sponsorships with existing partnerships and attract new money to the competition, with several major investors already indicating they have a keen interest in the esports industry and the ability it gives them to connect with primarily a younger audience.