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During the Spring Groups, Astralis encountered a bumpy road.
Despite convincing wins over Falcons and Team Vitality, they stumbled in the group final rematch against world’s best Counter-Strike team, Vitality.
Individual and team-wide issues plagued the Danish squad, with lackluster performances from key players like Nicolai “device” Reedtz and Jakob “jabbi” Nygaard.
BIG, however, defied expectations, growing stronger with each series.
Overcoming a heavy loss to Virtus.pro, they navigated through a challenging series against Heroic and showcased a solid performance against Cloud9.
The German squad, fuelled by emotion and determination, sought redemption after their struggles in the PGL Major Copenhagen qualifiers.
Astralis initially dominating on Vertigo, but BIG’s young duo, Karim ‘Krimbo’ Moussa and Elias ‘s1n’ Stein, displayed exceptional skill, leading their team to victory in overtime.
Overpass showcased Astralis’ dominance in the first half, and device’s impactful plays secured the map.
The decider was a tense back-and-forth affair, with BIG initially taking the lead, but Astralis mounted a comeback, ultimately securing the series win in overtime (12-16, 13-9, 16-14).
.@ASTRALISCS ARE HEADING TO LONDON!
#BLASTPremier pic.twitter.com/CfudZe1bGl
— BLAST Premier
(@BLASTPremier) January 28, 2024
Later on, G2 secured their spot at the BLAST Premier Spring Final with a convincing 2-0 (13-10, 13-7) victory over Liquid.
Despite Ilya “m0NESY” Osipov not performing at his usual level, the Kova? cousins, Nemanja ‘huNter-‘ Kova? and Nikola ‘NiKo’ Kova?, led G2 with a combined 67 kills.
On Overpass, Liquid had a sluggish start, prompting a timeout from coach Wilton “zews” Prado.
Although they staged a comeback on the CT side, G2 ultimately secured the map with key plays from huNter- and NiKo.
On Anubis, G2’s dominant T-side performance left Liquid with no answer as they secured a swift victory without dropping a single round.
For Liquid, the tournament began with a slow start, narrowly defeating Spirit and struggling against FaZe and G2.
Their only resounding victory came against GamerLegion.
With a month before their next event, the Americas RMR, Liquid has time to address their mistakes and fine-tune their performance.
After booking their spot in the BLAST Premier Spring Final, Astralis and G2 will join Team Vitality, Natus Vincere, Virtus.pro and FaZe Clan.
Meanwhile, for Team Liquid and BIG, they will have to try and qualify for the Spring Final through the BLAST Premier Spring Showdown.
LONDON CALLING FOR @G2CSGO
— BLAST Premier
]]>
Led by Janusz “Snax” Pogorzelski, the Counter-Strike squad, despite being labelled as one of the weaker teams in the tournament, demonstrated their prowess and resilience.
Snax’s leadership, coupled with Sebastian “volt” Malo?’s standout performance, especially earning the Player of the Match title, showcased GamerLegion’s ability to adapt and overcome challenges.
GamerLegion dominated the early rounds on Overpass, not losing a single player, but faced a setback as FaZe took the lead at halftime.
However, a strong comeback on the CT side allowed GamerLegion to secure their pick in the final round of regulation.
The series then went to extra rounds on FaZe’s pick, with GamerLegion eventually securing the victory.
.@GAMERLEGION TAKE DOWN FAZE CLAN!
#BLASTPremier pic.twitter.com/VrLY6YKx4w
— BLAST Premier
On the other side of the bracket, Liquid narrowly escaped elimination against Spirit in a closely contested series (16-14, 10-13, 13-10).
Despite struggling initially, Liquid managed to rally and secure the win, setting up a showdown against GamerLegion for a place in the group final.
Meanwhile, Spirit dropped to the lower bracket, where they would face the formidable FaZe Clan.
.@TeamLiquidCS survive the @Team__Spirit scare and secure the W today!
#BLASTPremier pic.twitter.com/xrqYGTQske
— BLAST Premier
In another match, Virtus.pro continued their consistent performance with a convincing 2-0 win over BIG in the upper bracket (13-5, 13-8).
Dzhami “?Jame?” Ali led his team through the game with relative ease, as they secured a dominant opening round victory to set up a mouth-watering matchup with fellow CIS rivals, Cloud9.
BIG’s challenging start to the year continued, and their coach, Fatih “gob b” Dayik, acknowledged the difficulty of facing Virtus.pro, citing their strong understanding of the game.
Victory for @virtuspro on their debut at the Spring Groups
— BLAST Premier
Cloud9 showcased their dominance by defeating Heroic 2-0 (13-5, 13-1), maintaining an undefeated record this year.
Abay “HObbit” Khassenov emphasized the importance of continuous improvement and chemistry within the team.
Cloud9 would now face Virtus.pro in a highly anticipated match, with HObbit acknowledging the unique challenges posed by Virtus.pro’s style.
Cutthroat from @C9CSGO tonight, in full control of the W from start to finish
— BLAST Premier
Thursday’s Spring Groups matches
- GamerLegion ($2.25) vs Team Liquid ($1.57) @ 12pm CET
- FaZe Clan ($1.10) vs Team Spirit ($6.50) @ 2:30pm CET
- Virtus.pro ($1.72) vs Cloud9 ($2.00) @ 5pm CET
- Heroic ($1.72) vs BIG ($2.00) @ 7:30pm CET
Their decision to pick Overpass paid off, with Valeriy “?b1t?” Vakhovskiy shining in an overtime victory.
However, G2 weren’t going to roll over, and they went on to take their map pick, Inferno, to send the series to Anubis.
Despite a close first and second map, NAVI dominated on Anubis, winning 13-9.
.@natusvincere are your victors after a spicy spicy series
#BLASTPremier pic.twitter.com/6m5SjjYvro
— BLAST Premier
In another Group C matchup, Ninjas in Pyjamas faced Complexity, aiming for redemption after a tough start.
NiP, with a strong CT side performance from Kristian ‘k0nfig’ Wienecke and Patrick ‘es3tag’ Hansen, secured a 13-9 victory on the first map.
They continued their dominance on Ancient, winning 13-5, setting up a rematch with G2 in the consolidation final.
Victory for the Ninjas at the Spring Groups
#BLASTPremier pic.twitter.com/xnm2q9BxI4
— BLAST Premier
Astralis impressed by defeating Team Vitality 2-1 (13-10, 6-13, 13-4) in the Group A upper final.
Vitality, the world’s best Counter-Strike, team struggled on Mirage before finding form on Vertigo, where they won in dominant fashion.
However, Martin “?stavn?” Lund’s strong performance on Overpass and crucial clutches by Victor “?Staehr?” Staehr contributed to Astralis’ dominant victory on the decisive map.
The loss ended Vitality’s nine-match and 12-map win streaks.
.@AstralisCS take down the World #1 at the Spring Groups!
— BLAST Premier
Falcons rebounded from a day one defeat against Astralis, dominating OG on Ancient (13-2) and securing the series victory on Vertigo (13-11).
The strong CT effort on Ancient, led by ��lvaro “?SunPayus?” Garc��a, boosted Falcons’ confidence.
The win sets up a consolidation final against Astralis, offering a chance for Emil “?Magisk?” Reif and Danny “?zonic?” S?rensen to face their former teammates.
It took all 24 rounds but @FalconsEsport secure the map and the series to continue their Spring Groups journey!#BLASTPremier pic.twitter.com/T8oeN3ZFF1
— BLAST Premier
Both Group B and D action will kick off on Wednesday, with FaZe Clan clashing with GamerLegion in the opening series of the day.
Check out www.youxiangrj01.com’s preview of the day’s action here.
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FAZE CLAN vs GAMERLEGION CS2 BETTING & MATCH DETAILS |
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|---|---|
| Best Odds: | FaZe $1.08 at GG Bet | GL $7.00 at GG Bet |
| When: | January 24, 2024 | 12:00 CET |
| Watch Live: | Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/BLASTPremier) |
FaZe Clan and GamerLegion have met twice before on Counter-Strike 2, both times at the Intel Extreme Masters Sydney 2023. GamerLegion won the first game 19-15?but lost the best-of-three rematch 1-2.
Since their first loss against GamerLegion, FaZe Clan have won 21 of 23 series, with just two defeats against Team Vitality, who beat them in the finals of the BLAST Premier Fall Final 2023 and World Final 2023.
GamerLegion hasn’t been as successful in their recent outings and ended 2023 with a six-game losing streak, even though they are yet to play an official match in 2024.
GamerLgion might’ve beaten FaZe before, but considering their form, it’s unlikely they’ll manage to claim a map, let alone the series. FaZe to sweep the series at the offered betting odds is a better choice.
FaZe Clan -1.5 maps
TEAM SPIRIT vs TEAM LIQUID CS2 BETTING & MATCH DETAILS |
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| Best Odds: | Spirit $4.00 at GG Bet | Liquid $1.22 at GG Bet |
| When: | January 24, 2024 | 14:30 CET |
| Watch Live: | Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/BLASTPremier) |
Team Spirit travelled to Denmark without Boris “magixx” Vorobyev and Danil “donk” Kryshkovets, which is a huge blow to their chances of winning the tournament. With the complete roster, Spirit has looked very good lately, and last month they won BetBoom Dacha without any issues.
Unfortunately, despite Team Spirit’s recent flashes of greatness, it’s tough to feel optimistic about a squad that is missing two key players and will play with coach Sergey “hally” Shavayev and academy player Oleg “baz” Kulynych as stand-ins.
Team Liquid debuted their new-look roster in the PGL Major Copenhagen 2024 and Intel Extreme Masters Chengdu qualifiers, where they produced mixed results. They picked up 14 wins across 16 games but also played against much weaker opponents and lost to M80 twice.
Team Liquid has a lot more work to do, and while they shouldn’t be losing against Spirit, there’s a good chance Liquid will drop a map.
Over 2.5 maps
VIRTUS.PRO vs BIG CS2 BETTING & MATCH DETAILS |
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|---|---|
| Best Odds: | VP $1.40 at GG Bet | BIG $2.75 at GG Bet |
| When: | January 24, 2024 | 17:00 CET |
| Watch Live: | Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/BLASTPremier) |
BIG enters the BLAST Premier Spring Groups 2024 as the lowest-rated team in the tournament and the main candidate to claim the wooden spoon in Group D. The German squad hasn’t produced much in bigger events; however, they won CCT Online Finals #5 and YaLLa Compass Fall 2023 in December.
Still, they’ve gone 1-3 in the PGL Major Copenhagen 2024: European Qualifier A last week, with defeats against BetBoom, Fnatic, and Nexus, which isn’t a good look.
Virtus.pro, unlike BIG, has looked good over the last month. They’re 7-1 across their last eight games, with just one loss against Natus Vincere. They’ve not beaten any top-tier teams over that stretch but have done well against squads of similar calibre as BIG.
Virtus.pro -1.5 maps
CLOUD9 vs HEROIC CS2 BETTING & MATCH DETAILS |
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| Best Odds: | C9 $1.44 at GG Bet | Heroic $2.62 at GG Bet |
| When: | January 24, 2024 | 19:30 CET |
| Watch Live: | Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/BLASTPremier) |
Heroic rebuilt their lineup in December with the signing of Guy “NertZ” Iluz, Nico “nicoodoz” Tamjidi, and Damjan “kyxsan” Stoilkovski. Even though this is a weaker line-up than what they had before the controversial departure of Martin “stavn” Lund and Jakob “jabbi” Nygaard, Heroic have enough talent to do well at the top level.
Six months after the most recent major roster change, Cloud 9 has yet to find much success. They showed some glimpses in November with semifinal runs at both the BLAST Premier Fall Final 2023 and Thunderpick World Championship 2023, but then ended the year with a fifth-sixth-place finish at BetBoom Dacha and the BLAST Premier World Final 2023.
This is a very stacked Cloud9 roster, which should find some traction, but they’ve yet to show any consistency.
Over 2.5 maps
]]>
Ilya “m0NESY” Osipov, the fourth-best Counter-Strike player of 2023 showcased exceptional form with a 1.88 rating.
However, NiP’s lackluster performance, aside from flashes of brilliance from Fredrik “REZ” Sterner, made it an easier contest for G2.
G2 advances to the upper final against Natus Vincere, while Ninjas in Pyjamas faces a lower final battle to stay alive in the tournament.
In the Vertigo match, NiP initially led 3-0 on the T side, but G2 took control with six consecutive rounds.
Despite NiP’s efforts, G2 secured a 7-5 halftime lead.
G2 dominated the second half, particularly with m0NESY’s outstanding plays, closing the map 13-7.
The Anubis map was completely one-sided, with G2 overpowering NiP.
NiP struggled on their T side, facing challenges from deep flanks by Rasmus “HooXi” Nielsen.
G2 secured a convincing 13-2 victory, sealing the series 2-0.
A gold star performance from @G2CSGO, picking up their first W at the Spring Groups
#BLASTPremier pic.twitter.com/ttT0VbmUoq
— BLAST Premier
Natus Vincere also started strong, defeating Complexity 2-0 (16-14 on Overpass, 13-8 on Anubis).
Despite Complexity’s initial 5-0 lead on Overpass, Natus Vincere mounted a comeback, forcing the match to overtime and ultimately winning 16-14.
Natus Vincere faces G2 in the upper bracket, while Complexity aims to avoid elimination against Ninjas in Pyjamas.
A PERFECT T-side from @natusvincere sees them stroll past @Complexity in their opening series
#BLASTPremier pic.twitter.com/ZpHybXFIYj
— BLAST Premier
Vitality continued their dominating form, dismantling OG 2-0 (Mirage 13-0, Inferno 13-7).
Vitality has now won nine consecutive series and twelve maps, carrying the momentum from their success in 2023 into the new season.
Mirage saw Vitality secure a swift 13-0 lead on the CT side, showcasing a dominant performance.
Inferno continued the trend, with Vitality maintaining control and closing out the series 2-0.
A much better showing from @OGcsgo on Inferno, but still not enough to take down @TeamVitality
#BLASTPremier pic.twitter.com/nwRqqrMe5P
— BLAST Premier
Astralis showcased their prowess, defeating Falcons 2-0 (13-8 on Vertigo, 13-3 on Ancient).
The new Falcons line-up, featuring three former ENCE members, struggled against Astralis’ masterful T side on Vertigo.
Astralis dominated the series, with Nicolai “device” Reedtz and the riflers leading the charge.
Astralis faces Vitality in the upper bracket final, while Falcons look to bounce back against OG to avoid early elimination.
.@AstralisCS feeling it on home turf, taking the quick 2-0 tonight!
— BLAST Premier
Tuesday’s Spring Groups matches
- Natus Vincere ($2.37) vs G2 Esports ($1.53) @ 12pm CET
- Ninjas in Pyjamas ($2.62) vs Complexity ($1.44) @ 2:30pm CET
- Team Vitality ($1.40) vs Astralis ($2.75) @ 5pm CET
- Falcons ($1.36) vs OG ($3.00) @ 7:30pm CET
The BLAST Premier Spring Groups will be the first LAN event of 2024, with the event set to be held in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Meanwhile, the League of Legends Pro League (LPL) in China will become the last of the top four leagues to kick off in 2024. The first Major of the 2024 Call of Duty season will also take place this week, with the three-day event being held in Boston, USA, from Friday to Sunday.
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BLAST Premier Spring Groups
The 16 BLAST Premier-partnered teams will congregate in Copenhagen for the six-day Spring Groups tournament, where the top six teams will qualify for the Spring Final in June.
With most of the top Counter-Strike teams in attendance, the Spring Groups will be an entertaining event and should kick off the year in fine style.
Check out our extensive BLAST Premier Spring Groups betting guide to get the latest odds and tournament information.
-
Call of Duty: Boston Major
After the conclusion of the Call of Duty: Major 1 qualifiers on Sunday, January 21, the seeds for the opening Major of the Call of Duty season will be confirmed.
Atlanta FaZe, Toronto Ultra and New York Subliners have been the top three teams throughout the qualifiers and will be the favourites going into the Boston Major.
Check out our extensive Call of Duty League betting guide to get the latest odds and tournament information.
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League of Legends Pro League (LPL)
The opening night of the League of Legends Pro League (LPL) on January 22 will feature two matches, with Top Esports taking on Bilibili Gaming, followed by Royal Never Give Up and Edward Gaming to conclude the first night of the Spring Split.
Esports betting sites have Bilibili Gaming marked as the $3.50 favourites to take out the 2024 LPL Spring Split, ahead of JD Gaming ($3.75) and LNG Esports ($6.50).
Check out our extensive LPL betting guide to get the latest odds and tournament information.
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— Team Spirit (@Team__Spirit) January 18, 2024
This setback has prompted Spirit to make changes, with coach Sergey “hally” Shavaev and Team Spirit Academy player Oleg “baz” Kulynych stepping in as replacements for the Counter-Strike tournament in Copenhagen from January 22�C28.
The announcement was made via Team Spirit’s official Telegram channel, expressing regret that the promising rookies, especially donk, won’t be able to attend their first top-tier LAN event with the newly-formed lineup that recently acquired Dmitriy “sh1ro” Sokolov.
With the duo’s absence, fans will have to wait until the IEM Katowice Play-In stage starts on January 31 to witness the official LAN debut of the revamped Team Spirit roster.
The timing of the visa issues is particularly unfortunate, coming just before the PGL Copenhagen Major qualifier is set to begin on February 14 in Bucharest.
Despite the setback, the team is gearing up for their first official match in the European RMR closed qualifiers, where they’ll face KOI.
This will serve as a crucial test for the new line-up, which has been generating significant hype since the acquisition of sh1ro last month from Cloud9, replacing Artem “ArtFr0st” Kharitonov.
Donk’s absence, in particular, is a significant loss for Team Spirit.
The 16-year-old player made a remarkable impact after being promoted from the organization’s academy in July 2023, showcasing impressive performances with a 1.35 rating and 1.51 impact rating during the latter half of the year.
He proved doubters wrong by excelling on LAN, contributing to Spirit’s victories in events like PARI Dunav Party and BetBoom Dacha, where they defeated formidable teams like FURIA, MIBR, and Virtus.pro to clinch the title.
As Team Spirit faces this unexpected hurdle, fans are left eagerly anticipating their performance in IEM Katowice and hoping for a swift resolution to the visa issues that have disrupted their plans for BLAST Premier Spring Groups 2024.
]]>The Spring Final main event is scheduled to take place in Washington, DC, from June 7 to June 11, 2023.
Monster performance by @stavnCS means that @heroicgg take the win 2-1 and are qualified for Spring Final 2023!
#BLASTPremier @Maersk pic.twitter.com/x2Tk8vUCXk
— BLAST Premier
The contest between BIG and Heroic was highly anticipated, as both teams had demonstrated remarkable feats in previous rounds. BIG made a strong impression in the first round, defeating Liquid with a convincing 2-0 score, with Karim “Krimbo” Moussa and Nils “k1to” Gruhne leading the charge. Nevertheless, they faced a challenge against Heroic.
The opening map was Vertigo, which was selected by BIG instead of their favored Mirage. This decision proved to be costly as Heroic seized the opportunity, setting the tone for the remainder of the match. BIG struggled to secure two surprise rounds on their attack while Florain “syrsoN” Rische had a strong performance.
In response, Heroic dominated on the CT side, establishing a commanding 13-2 lead at the half of the map. The match ultimately ended in a 16-3 victory for Heroic, with Swiss analyst Mathieu “Maniac” Quiquerez labeling it a devastating loss for BIG.
Heroic’s success in the first map was largely due to Jakob “jabbi” Nygaard’s outstanding performance. The 19-year-old rifler posted a 1.82 rating on Vertigo while attaining 21 kills and sustaining only seven deaths, alongside 114.1 ADR and 100% KAST.
READ: Top online bookmakers for CS:GO betting
The second map was played on Ancient, Heroic’s map pick, which they ended up losing like their counterpart on their own pick. Although BIG had not played the map since June 2022, they still managed to win by a 16-12 scoreline. The first half of the map ended with BIG in a one-round lead (8-7) owing to syroN’s 1v2 AWP clutch and 4 kills on mid-defense. His 1.83 rating and +11 kill-death differential are testaments to his standout display on the CT site.
While Heroic tried to put up a better resistance in the second half of the map, BIG’s in-game leader Johannes “tabseN” Wodarz had a different plan up his sleeves. The 27-year-old led his team to victory on the T side, registering a 1.81 rating and a 15-7 kill-death ratio. Heroic AWPer Martin “stavn” Lund, who is known to be the 10th-best player of the 2022 season, tried his best with a 1.29 map rating and 22 kills, but unfortunately could not lead his team to victory.
The final map was Inferno, which turned out to be a more straightforward match for Heroic. They dominated on defense, with a 12-3 lead at halftime owing to in-game leader Casper “cadiaN” Moller’s aggressive playing style which saw him post 10 frags and a 1.36 rating on CT.
BIG tried to crawl back their way back into the game, securing seven rounds in the second half of the map. Sadly, Heroic’s four-round win in the half was enough to seal off the game with a 16-10 victory on Inferno.
Heroic’s triumph over BIG has earned them a spot at the BLAST Premier Spring Final, making them the fifth confirmed team at the main event. The Danish franchise joins G2, FaZe, Natus Vincere, and Vitality.
]]>The Ukrainian team managed to edge out a 2-1 victory despite a superstar performance from Complexity’s Michael “Grim” Wince. The victory sends NaVi to the Spring Final, which will commence on June 7.
Very tense Overpass, 16:14, and we wrap up the series 2:1. GG @Complexity! #BLASTPremier #CSGO #navination pic.twitter.com/QJB8hiHWSx
— NAVI Live
(@natusvincerelv) January 28, 2023
The series started off with NaVi taking an early lead on Complexity’s pick of Anubis, with successful defenses against back-to-back A site hits. Complexity quickly regained control of the map with 1vs3 and 1vs2 clutches from Ricky “floppy” Kemery and H?kon “hallzerk” Fj?rli, which doubled the score of their opponents. NaVi managed to claw their way back into the game, posting seven rounds, but it was Complexity who took a slight edge into the break thanks to another stellar round from hallzerk.
During the latter part of the game, Complexity increased their advantage to 11-7. However, NaVi quickly reduced the deficit with a series of seven rounds led by Valeriy “b1t” Vakhovskiy, putting them in the lead at 14-11. Despite Complexity’s attempts to recover, they were unable to secure the win on their own chosen map as NaVi took the next two rounds to claim the map victory (16-14).
READ: Best Counter-Strike betting sites in 2023
On Inferno, the second map, Complexity dominated with a standout performance from Grim. The first half was closely contested with Complexity leading 8-7, but they took control after the side swap. NaVi’s uncharacteristic stagnant defense was exploited by Complexity, resulting in a 16-11 win.
The Overpass decider was highly disputed, with Complexity holding a 9-6 advantage at halftime. After the break, a pistol win and conversion allowed Complexity to expand their lead, although NaVi managed to secure two rounds. However, Complexity kept control. They won their 12th round with a quick attack on the B bombsite and Grim performed a stunning ace in a 3v5 scenario.
However, Complexity faltered at the last moment, wasting their opportunity to win. Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev shone and tore apart the enemy defenses, crucial protection of the B bombsite being breached by NaVi repeatedly, leading to a streak of eight consecutive rounds that secured NaVi’s victory with a score of 16-14.
Complexity’s defeat is devastating, as they had a chance to win both Anubis and Overpass but failed despite a brilliant individual performance by Grim. This loss relegates the team to the Showdown, where they will get another chance to qualify for the Spring Final.
On February 1, Complexity will go up against BIG in their first match of IEM Katowice 2023 play-in stage. NaVi, on the other hand, have qualified directly to the group stage.
]]>NaVi, known for its Ukrainian-majority Counter-Strike: Global Offensive roster, started off strong on the map Inferno by securing a win with a score of 16-10. However, they faced a setback on Mirage, losing 7-16. Despite this, they bounced back and closed out the series with a powerful performance on Overpass, securing a win with a score of 16-5.
Confident 16:5 win on Overpass and it's 2:1 in our favor. GGs @NIPCS! #navination #CSGO #BLASTPremier pic.twitter.com/4o0wqR852f
— NAVI Live
The map veto for the match mirrored the one from the first day of the competition, with the first map of the series once again being NiP’s pick of Inferno. NiP got off to a strong start, taking an early 5-0 lead on the T-side and successfully attacking the A bombsite. This left NaVi with no choice but to save their weapons round after round.
However, NaVi managed to turn the tide of the game thanks to strong performances from Valery “b1t” Vakhovskiy and Andrii “npl” Kukharskyi, and were able to chain together six consecutive rounds to end the half with a one-round lead.
A strong start from Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev, including a quad kill in the first round, helped Natus Vincere take control of the T-side on Inferno. Despite a few setbacks against Ninjas in Pyjamas’ low-investment buys, Natus Vincere continued to dominate the game and widen their lead, going up 13-9. However, Ninjas in Pyjamas’ decision to repeatedly force buy into rounds ultimately proved detrimental, as it drained their resources and left them with little utility for defending their position.
From this point on, NaVi made sure that their opponents had no chance of making a comeback. They executed their site takes flawlessly and with precision, thanks in part to the strong performance of their newest player, npl. This allowed them to secure just one additional round loss and ultimately win the map comfortably with a score of 16-10.
At the start of Mirage, NiP demonstrated a strong performance, utilizing aggressive tactics through the mid lane of the map and a focused Fredrik “REZ” Sterner to establish an early lead of 5-0 on defense. NaVi managed to secure a few rounds, but the Swedish franchise, led by Aleski “Aleskib” Virolainen, employed tactical timeouts effectively to prevent a comeback and ended the half with an 11-4 scoreline. The only notable moment for the Ukrainian side came from s1mple, who pulled off a stunning 1vs3 clutch in the final round, keeping his team in the game heading into the side swap.
During the second half of the match, NaVi briefly showed signs of a comeback with a strong three-round streak to begin their CT side. However, NiP closely followed their every move, consistently pushing forward.
The standout performance of NiP’s substitute player, Max “maxster” Jansson, was a major factor in their victory, with his strategic bomb planting and impressive 1vs2 clutch round playing a significant role in their 16-7 win. Despite the efforts of coach Andrii “B1ad3” Horodenskyi’s boys, they struggled to adapt to the game, appearing out of their element, while Aleskib and the lads capitalized on this to ultimately tie up the series.
The game proceeded to a decider map, Overpass, which saw s1mple and b1t leading their team to an early lead, securing 18 kills and taking control of the Fountain area of the map. This allowed the team to establish a comfortable 7-1 lead on the CT side.
Despite NiP’s efforts to break through NaVi’s defenses by alternating their attacks between different areas of the map, the Ukrainian team’s defense held strong. A last-ditch effort by NiP in the 14th round, using AK-47s and Tec-9s, briefly gave them some momentum, but Ilya “Perfoecto” Zalutskiy and Denis “electroNic” Sharipov quickly regained control registering double kills to further extend their lead.
NaVi’s momentum continued to build as the game progressed. A clutch 1v2 play from s1mple brought them closer to victory, with the score at 13-3, and despite NiP managing to secure two additional rounds, NaVi ultimately sealed the deal with a commanding 16-5 win on Overpass.
Due to the victory, NaVi have bested their European rival in consecutive victories in the BLAST Premier Spring Group C, with the more recent victory pushing the Ukrainian CS:GO franchise to Play-In first round. NaVi’s star player, s1mple, led the match with a 1.47 rating and 89 ADR across both maps. Npl also performed well in his debut match with NaVi, earning a 1.38 rating on Inferno.
Monster performance by @s1mple, and @natusvincere takes the win 2-1
#BLASTPremier @Maersk pic.twitter.com/FcQTYzcm9E
— BLAST Premier
Having made their way to the Group C Grand Final, NaVi will be taking on G2 Esports later today for a spot at the Spring Final main event. According to GG.BET, G2 are heavy favorites to make their way to the Spring Final with odds set at $1.55, assigning NaVi odds of $2.43.
Despite their defeat, NiP still have a chance to qualify for the BLAST Premier Spring Final, with the potential of winning a large chunk of the $425,000 prize money. However, they will be required to win two consecutive best-of-three matches in the knockout stage to secure their spot.
One bright spot for the team was the performance of academy player ?maxster?, who stepped in for Hampus “hampus” Poser. Despite only practicing for a day prior to his debut with the starting lineup, maxster was one of the team’s top performers with a rating of 0.90, showcasing his potential in the tier-one CS:GO scene.
In a post-game interview, maxster revealed that the team knew their opponent were going to select Mirage, and as such, they had practiced it vehemently in a bid to shut the Ukrainian side. He stated that the strategy worked, but the team were unable to put up a convincing resistance in Inferno and Overpass.
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