After a shaky performance earlier in the Counter-Strike 2 tournament, FaZe’s recovery was driven by strong performances from H?vard “?rain?” Nygaard, David “?frozen?” ?er��ansky, and Robin “?ropz?” Kool.

PLAYOFFS FOR @FaZeEsports

It's Ro16 in the #ESLProLeague S20 playoffs for the S17 champions pic.twitter.com/klZzxtnUkq

— ESL Counter-Strike (@ESLCS) September 6, 2024

Their counter-terrorist side on Anubis laid the foundation for rain to shine in the offensive half, while Dust2 saw a dominant FaZe performance, with Finn “?karrigan?” Andersen rallying his team loudly throughout.

Sangal, after defeating FaZe in their opening matchup, couldn’t build on that momentum.

They suffered defeats to Eternal Fire and FaZe, falling to the Last Chance Stage, where they will face FlyQuest.

FaZe��s recent form marks a shift after early exits from BLAST Premier Fall Groups and IEM Cologne.

Now, with an impressive run at the BLAST Premier Fall Showdown and solid improvements at ESL Pro League, they are back in playoff contention.

Congratulations @Team__Spirit!

They've secured a spot in the Ro16 of the #ESLProLeague Season 20 Playoffs @chopperis @magixx772 @donk1337 @sh1rocsgo @zont1x977 pic.twitter.com/2D4xIi92kw

— ESL Counter-Strike (@ESLCS) September 6, 2024

Meanwhile, Team Spirit also earned a playoff berth after reverse-sweeping 3DMAX.

Despite losing the first map on Anubis (6-13), Spirit bounced back with dominant wins on Ancient (13-6) and Nuke (13-2), powered by standout performances from Danil “?donk?” Kryshkovets and Myroslav “?zont1x?” Plakhotia.

In the Last Chance Stage, KOI and Lynn Vision were eliminated after losses to Wildcard and FlyQuest, respectively.

FlyQuest managed to stave off elimination in a hard-fought series against Lynn Vision, while Wildcard continues their tournament run after defeating KOI.

The MongolZ and 9z have also dropped into the Last Chance Stage following losses to Spirit and 3DMAX.

The MongolZ took Spirit to the brink but couldn’t close the series, while 9z’s defeat leaves them struggling to regain their early-season form after setbacks at IEM Cologne and BetBoom Dacha.

Spirit’s playoff berth was hard-fought, having earlier survived a scare from Wildcard and losing to MIBR.

Their recovery, alongside FaZe’s resurgence, adds intrigue as the tournament heads into the final stages.

Saturday’s ESL Pro League fixtures

• 9z Team (+125) vs The MongolZ (-175.44) @ 1:30pm CEST
• Sangal (-250) vs FlyQuest (+175) @ 1:30pm CEST
• Heroic (-175.44) vs Ninjas in Pyjamas (+125) @ 4:30pm CEST
• Wildcard (+240) vs 3DMAX (-333.33) @ 4:30pm CEST
• Eternal Fire (+162) vs Natus Vincere (-227.27) @ 7:30pm CEST

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Coming off a win against 9z, MIBR initially struggled, losing their Ancient pick 13-2.

However, they bounced back with a strong 6-0 start on the counter-terrorist side of the second map, comfortably tying the Counter-Strike series.

The decider, Anubis, went into overtime, where MIBR emerged victorious despite a fierce comeback from Spirit, led by Danil “donk” Kryshkovets.

.@MIBR ARE GOING TO THE #ESLProLeague XX PLAYOFFS pic.twitter.com/aXkewCGoAi

— ESL Counter-Strike (@ESLCS) September 5, 2024

Spirit will drop into the lower bracket and will face The MongolZ, who decisively beat KOI 2-0 (13-1, 13-0) in just 81 minutes, where they only lost one round across the two maps.

The Mongolians dominated, with standout performances from Usukhbayar “910” Banzragch and Munkhbold “Senzu” Azbayar, both boasting over a 2.00 rating.

KOI now faces elimination in the Last Chance Stage against Wildcard, who were convincingly beaten by 9z Team 2-0 (13-6, 13-10) in the lower bracket of Group B.

Elsewhere, both Heroic and Ninjas in Pyjamas (NiP) are in the Last Chance Stage after defeats in their lower bracket semi-finals.

Heroic let an 11-3 lead slip on Nuke against Sangal, losing the series despite a strong showing from Guy “NertZ” Iluz and Abdul “degster” Gasanov on Mirage.

NiP pushed FaZe Clan to the limit but eventually crumbled in the decider on Dust2, where H?vard “rain” Nygaard led FaZe to an 11-1 halftime advantage, before claiming the final map 13-1.

IT'S PLAYOFFS FOR @G2CSGO

They've guaranteed themselves a spot in the playoffs of #ESLProLeague Season 20! pic.twitter.com/Z19k1TtNpC

— ESL Counter-Strike (@ESLCS) September 5, 2024

G2 Esports also secured a playoff spot after defeating 3DMAX 2-1 (10-13, 13-6, 13-7) and set up a clash with MIBR in the upper bracket final, with the winner set to earn a quarter-final spot in the playoffs.

Friday’s ESL Pro League fixtures

• 9z Team (-138.89) vs 3DMAX (+100) @ 1:30pm CEST
• The MongolZ (+275) vs Team Spirit (-400) @ 1:30pm CEST
• FlyQuest (-200) vs Lynn Vision (+150) @ 4:30pm CEST
• Sangal Esports (+240) vs FaZe Clan (-333.33) @ 4:30pm CEST
• KOI (+150) vs Wildcard (-200) @ 7:30pm CEST
• Winner of 9z/3DMAX vs Winner of Spirit/MongolZ @ 7:30pm CEST

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Both teams, sitting at No. 1 and No. 11 in the global Counter-Strike 2 rankings, had dominant starts, defeating Lynn Vision and FlyQuest in their opening matches.

Their victories in the semi-finals ensure a place in the playoffs, where they will now face each other in a seeding match.

The winner will advance directly to the quarter-finals of the 16-team playoff bracket, while the loser will begin their playoff journey in the second round.

.@eternalfiregg #ESLProLeague XX playoffs pic.twitter.com/S6tXRnvfiN

— ESL Counter-Strike (@ESLCS) September 4, 2024

Sangal, led by former Eternal Fire and academy players Yasin “xfl0ud” Ko? and Samet “jottAAA” K?kl��, had an impressive run leading up to the Pro League, including a surprise victory over FaZe Clan in their opening match.

However, they were outmatched by Eternal Fire, especially on Dust2.

Sangal started strong with a 7-5 lead but struggled to maintain their momentum, winning only two more rounds across the series.

Eternal Fire��s ?zg��r “woxic” Eker, Ismailcan “XANTARES” D?rtkarde?, and Ali “Wicadia” Haydar Yal??n dominated the defence, securing a playoff spot with a decisive 13-1 win on Nuke.

.@natusvincere have guaranteed themselves a spot in the #ESLProLeague Season 20 Playoffs! pic.twitter.com/RDceLUHA33

— ESL Counter-Strike (@ESLCS) September 4, 2024

Natus Vincere faced Ninjas in Pyjamas in their advancement match, with some pre-game tension stirred by Justinas “jL” Lekavicius quoting an interview from Artem “r1nkle” Moroz, where the Ukrainian sniper compared himself to NaVi��s Ihor “w0nderful” Zhdanov.

However, r1nkle was outclassed by w0nderful during the series, ending with a 0.79 rating compared to w0nderful’s 1.39.

Mihai “iM” Ivan led NaVi to victory with a 1.69 rating across Ancient and Dust2.

Meanwhile, FaZe avoided elimination by defeating FlyQuest 2-0 (13-9, 13-11) in the lower bracket and will next face Ninjas in Pyjamas as they attempt to recover from a poor start in Malta.

Heroic also narrowly avoided an upset against Lynn Vision, eventually securing their place in the lower bracket with a 2-1 (13-10, 6-13, 13-7) win, where they will face Sangal in their next match.

Earlier in the day, Team Spirit took care of business in their opening round clash against Wildcard, thanks to a Danil “?donk?” Kryshkovets masterclass, where the Russian rifler broke the Counter-Strike 2 kill record.

Donk racked up a massive 38 kills on Ancient before recording another 37 on Nuke to power Spirit to a 2-0 (13-11, 16-13) victory over their North American opponents.

Thursday’s ESL Pro League fixtures

• KOI (+275) vs The MongolZ (-400) @ 1:30pm CEST
• Team Spirit (-1428.57) vs MIBR (+650) @ 1:30pm CEST
• G2 Esports (-625) vs 3DMAX (+350) @ 4:30pm CEST
• Wildcard (+125) vs 9z Team (-175.44) @ 4:30pm CEST
• Ninjas in Pyjamas (+275) vs FaZe Clan (-400) @ 7:30pm CEST
• Sangal Esports (+110) vs Heroic (-151.52) @ 7:30pm CEST

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After a month’s break from European competitions, FlyQuest will take another go at leaving their mark at ESL Pro League Season 20. However, they are not expected to do well, and esports betting sites have them priced at +324 for Tuesday’s clash.

Eternal Fire are far from one of the leading candidates to hoist the trophy in Malta, but they have done well in their most recent outings, with comfortable victories against B8, Cloud9, 9Pandas, and Team Falcons. Before that, the Turkish squad produced a few less convincing displays against weaker squads, so consistency is still missing.

FlyQuest are in good form, and while all of their recent victories came against lesser regional opponents, they posted good results against higher-rated opposition before the summer break and even at the start of August. As such, it is fair to expect the Australian squad can do some damage.

FaZe Clan should be in for a field day when they face off against Sangal Esports for the first time. But while Sangal are a much lower-rated team on the global Counter-Strike standings, they have found some serious momentum lately.

They won CCT Season 2 European Series #6 and Series #7 and, just over a week ago, placed second at Perfect World Shanghai Major 2024: European Qualifier A. With an incredible 18-3 record since the start of July, Sangal Esports seem to be set to make a splash in Malta.

FaZe Clan are serious title contenders; however, they have produced some unconvincing performances over the last few weeks against Rare Atom, paiN Gaming, and OG, so it is not entirely unlikely that Sangal Esports take a map off them.

HEROIC have not come close to winning a tournament since placing top four at BetBoom Dacha Belgrade 2024 #1. However, Damjan “kyxsan” Stoilkovski and co. have recently found some traction with four wins over their last six series.

Ninjas in Pyjamas are 3-7 from their last 10 and on a four-game losing streak. They did well to upset Cloud9 and FaZe Clan at BLAST Premier Fall Groups 2024 earlier this month, but that means very little after their most recent outings.

HEROIC are not in the best shape, and they lost their last meeting with Ninjas in Pyjamas in June. However, unlike Ninjas in Pyjamas, HEROIC have shown some improvement and should not struggle to come away with a comfortable victory.

MiBR and 9z Team last clashed in the second round of Intel Extreme Masters Cologne 2024, when 9z won in two maps. They needed overtime on Ancient but crushed the Brazillians on Nuke with 13-2, so the game was not particularly close.

Since then, 9z Team have won just one of five games played, including losses to Astralis, Team Falcons, and paiN Gaming (twice). MiBR, on the other side, have won three games over the same stretch, albeit against BESTIA and two against Hype Esports.

MiBR seem to be in better form, but Maximiliano “max” Gonzalez and his crew have a better map pool, stronger results against more formidable opponents, and are up in the head-to-head stakes. Barring any surprises, 9z Team should come out ahead.

Esports betting tips

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NINJAS IN PYJAMAS vs JD GAMING LoL BETTING & MATCH DETAIL

JD Gaming will seek revenge on Ninjas in Pyjamas on Sunday, September 1, when the two Chinese LoL esports teams clash in a League of Legends Pro League (LPL) 2024 Summer Playoffs rematch. Ninjas in Pyjamas shockingly won the last meeting, but according to the latest LoL esports betting odds, JD Gaming should get their revenge.

Priced at -303.03, JD Gaming are expected to have a fairly easy time against Ninjas in Pyjamas on Sunday, which does not sound too shocking. They lost the last series 2-3, but it was an incredibly disappointing display from LoL World Championship 2023 semifinalists and not a performance we can expect to see again.

JDG were not sharp on the day, with apparent communication issues and no planning involved in their approach to the series. On the maps Seo “Kanavi” Jin-hyeok and co. won; they looked very dominant but misplayed their poke composition on map five, which led to a painful loss.

Ninjas in Pyjamas failed to make it much further after beating JD Gaming, as they got torn apart by Weibo Gaming in Round 3. There is not much to take from that series, but it did prove just how fast-and-famine Ninjas in Pyjamas can be.

Qualitatively, JD Gaming are the superior team, even though their last clash with Ninjas in Pyjamas might not make it that obvious. However, they did play a close series against JD Gaming during the regular season and once again in the playoffs, making it seem like NiP are the better pick at outsider odds.

From afar, this looks like a dog or pass match, but it is tough to doubt JD Gaming, who have the talent to end the split inside the top-three. Ninjas in Pyjamas seem too inconsistent to find any success at the top level.

Esports betting tips

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After a disappointing fifth-sixth finish at Intel Extreme Masters Cologne 2024, FaZe Clan now have a great chance to win their first significant Counter-Strike esports tournament since IEM Chengdu 2024. According to the CS2 betting odds, they are outright favourites to place in the top two at BLAST Premier Fall Showdown 2024.

FaZe’s journey begins with a clash against China’s No.3 team, Rare Atom, who recently booked a spot at IEM Rio 2024 through regional qualifiers and placed top four at XSE Pro League Season 2. Yet despite Rare Atom’s recent success, they are still one of the weaker sides attending BLAST Premier Fall Showdown 2024.

FaZe should feel slightly fatigued, as they have had quite a packed schedule this month, and it is unlikely they will have put much preparation into this series. Still, Finn “karrigan” Andersen and co. are 6-2 as betting favourites since the start of the month and should not struggle against the world’s No.81-ranked team.

HEROIC and OG are still without a tournament title this year, yet there is a significant difference in the tiers of competitions they have attended over the last seven months. While HEROIC have played in eight consecutive S-Tier events leading into BLAST Premier Fall Showdown 2024, OG competed at the top level just twice this year — most recently at the CCT Season 1 Global Finals in May.

OG have recently found some traction, winning five consecutive series at Intel Extreme Masters Rio 2024: European Open Qualifier #1, yet those came against K27, ENJOY, ARCRED, PARIVISION, and B8, and not one of those displays was very convincing. HEROIC are 4-6 from their last 10 outings, albeit against much more formidable opponents.

HEROIC are rightly priced as favourites, yet they have been dropping series against weaker sides, so there is a world where OG catch them sleeping. An upset seems unlikely; however, at -131.58 with top Counter-Strike betting sites, OG are a solid pick to take a map.

AMKAL ESPORTS enter BLAST Premier Fall Showdown 2024 with only four active players, having recently parted ways with Daniil “Sdaim” Tupov. This is not an optimal situation, but they might have found a replacement in Emil “nota” Moskvitin, who played for the Russian squad in their most recent series against Young Ninjas.

Ninjas in Pyjamas have a stable roster but no notable results to show for it. They are 3-2 from their last five series, which includes a questionable overtime win against FAVBET Team and a 7-13 loss against LEON Esports.

On paper, Ninjas in Pyjamas are the far superior team. Still, their results over the last few weeks inspire little confidence, making AMKAL ESPORTS an inviting outsider pick to at least leave a dent in NiP’s armour.

Esports betting tips

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NINJAS IN PYJAMAS vs WEIBO GAMING LoL BETTING & MATCH DETAILS

Ninjas in Pyjamas and Weibo Gaming will clash on Thursday, August 15, in the third round of League of Legends Pro League (LPL) 2024 Summer Playoffs. This will mark their second meeting of the split and the first since the second week of the regular season.

Song “Rookie” Eui-jin and co. enter this series following a massive victory against JD Gaming on Monday, which could indicate great things to come. While it was an incredibly disappointing series for JDG, we must give some props to NiP — especially their mid-laner Rookie, who, after a long time, looked like his old self.

Weibo Gaming have had a long time to prepare for this match, but it is unlikely they expected to play NiP. Still, they have plenty of film on Ninjas in Pyjamas, which might explain their short odds with top LoL betting sites.

While there are reasons to believe Weibo Gaming can crush Ninjas in Pyjamas — one of them being WBG’s improved performances in the latter stages of the regular season — they are not consistent enough to be priced as -158.73 favourites. Back the outsiders to cover the map line.

Esports betting tips

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The Counter-Strike matches, held on Mirage and Inferno, ended with scores of 13-6 and 13-5, respectively, in favour of Astralis.

.@ASTRALISCS ARE HEADING TO THE FALL FINAL! #BLASTPremier pic.twitter.com/m1VPuRSN9f

— BLAST Premier (@BLASTPremier) August 4, 2024

Nicolai “?device?” Reedtz expressed satisfaction with the team’s performance, acknowledging NiP’s potential despite their lacklustre showing.

“We played really well, and NIP are probably a better team than they showed today,” device commented post-match.

“It’s been a decent tournament. We had some really good moments against Vitality, even though we lost. We’re happy to get the season started.”

Artem “?r1nkle?” Moroz had a notably tough series, averaging a 0.62 rating and managing only four AWP kills.

Despite the setback, NIP��s coach, Richard “?Xizt?” Landstr?m, remained optimistic.

“We can’t get too greedy with how good we want to be results-wise. We’re facing really good teams and have some young players, so we just need a bit of time and experience,” he said.

Astralis’ journey to the play-in match came after a second-place finish in their group, where they were defeated by Team Vitality.

NiP, on the other hand, fell to G2 Esports in their group.

The series commenced on Mirage, with Jakob “?jabbi?” Nygaard (1.78 rating) and Martin “?stavn?” Lund (1.57 rating) leading Astralis to victory.

Inferno saw NiP struggle further, posting only five rounds despite winning both pistol rounds, ultimately ending their campaign in disappointment.

In the final series of BLAST Premier Fall Groups, Natus Vincere (NaVi) claimed the sixth Fall Final spot by defeating Complexity 2-0 (13-11, 13-6).

.@NATUSVINCERE ARE HEADING TO THE FALL FINAL! #BLASTPremier pic.twitter.com/NxiPuyJcmN

— BLAST Premier (@BLASTPremier) August 4, 2024

NAVI��s run through the groups was challenging, marked by two losses to Team Liquid.

However, they capitalised on their second qualification attempt against Complexity.

The match on Anubis was closely contested, with Complexity leading 6-1 on the counter-terrorist side before NaVi turned the tide.

Key performances from Justinas “?jL?” Lekavicius and crucial entries by Aleksi “?Aleksib?” Virolainen helped secure the map.

On Nuke, NaVi dominated from the start, concluding with a 9-3 offensive half and a quick series close.

Jonathan ‘EliGE’ Jablonowski played a lone hand for Complexity throughout the series, finishing as their only player to record a positive kill/death difference (+5) and the third-highest rated player on the server (1.15).

Post-match, jL reflected on NAVI’s performance, emphasising the importance of their group stage struggles.

“It’s good that we got exposed here so that we can focus on Cologne,” jL stated.

“I think it was B1ad3’s master plan all along. Play five games so we get the most practice and be ready for Cologne.

“Jokes aside, our mistakes got exposed and we can fix them.”

Complexity and Ninjas in Pyjamas will drop into the BLAST Premier Fall Showdown, joining the 14 other squads who will compete for the final two spots at the Fall Final.

Fall Final teams

• Team Spirit
• Team Liquid
• Team Vitality
• Natus Vincere
• Astralis
• G2 Esports

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Despite entering as heavy favourites with top esports betting sites, Spirit faced a challenging match.

Complexity managed to secure a double-overtime win on Dust2, overcoming a series of highlight plays from Danil “donk” Kryshkovets and Dmitry “sh1ro” Sokolov.

However, Spirit rebounded on Anubis, maintaining their eight-map winning streak with a decisive 13-6 victory.

The final map, Nuke, saw Complexity initially leading, but Spirit’s Leonid “chopper” Vishnyakov and sh1ro’s clutch plays turned the tide, securing a seven-round streak and the series win.

.@TEAM__SPIRIT ARE HEADING TO THE FALL FINAL #BLASTPremier pic.twitter.com/O3X2TyPoU6

— BLAST Premier (@BLASTPremier) August 3, 2024

G2 Esports clinched a spot at the BLAST Premier Fall Final with a dominant 2-0 (13-7, 13-8) victory over Ninjas in Pyjamas.

On Ancient, G2’s Ilya “m0NESY” Osipov led the charge with 16 kills in the first half, and while Max “maxster” Jansson shone on the terrorist side, G2 secured the map off the back of a strong first half performance.

Inferno saw G2 quickly gaining a 6-2 lead before Ninjas in Pyjamas briefly rallied.

However, G2’s solid performance on both sides of the map led to a comfortable victory.

Despite the win, G2’s in-game leader, Janusz “Snax” Pogorzelski, admitted the team made some mistakes but felt no significant pressure during the match.

.@G2CSGO ARE HEADING TO THE FALL FINAL! #BLASTPremier pic.twitter.com/YEfYHMeE6K

— BLAST Premier (@BLASTPremier) August 3, 2024

Vitality emerged victorious in Group B, defeating Astralis 2-1 (10-13, 13-10, 13-7) to secure their place at the Fall Final.

Astralis started strong on Vertigo, winning 13-10 after a competitive first half.

However, Vitality bounced back on Mirage, overcoming a 0-7 deficit to win 13-10.

The decider, Nuke, was a tight contest in the first half, with Astralis holding a 7-5 lead.

Vitality’s impeccable defense in the second half, led by Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut, secured an eight-round streak, culminating in a 13-7 victory and a ticket to Copenhagen.

.@TEAMVITALITYCS ARE HEADING TO THE FALL FINAL! #BLASTPremier pic.twitter.com/sNompnqm7x

— BLAST Premier (@BLASTPremier) August 3, 2024

Team Liquid booked their spot in the Fall Final after triumphing over Natus Vincere in their Group D rematch, winning 2-1 (9-13, 16-14, 13-10) after a fiercely contested series.

NaVi dominated the early stages of Nuke, leading 10-2, but Liquid’s strong defence made it a closer 13-9 finish.

On Anubis, Liquid’s impressive terrorist-side play led to a 16-14 overtime victory.

The decider, Inferno, featured dramatic swings, with NaVi initially gaining control with a nine-round streak.

Liquid, however, turned the game around on the counter-terrorist side, driven by Roland “ultimate” Tomkowiak’s performance, and secured the map 13-10, earning their spot in the Fall Final.

The losers from each of the four finals will clash in two do-or-die series’, with the winners earning automatic qualification into the Fall Final and the losers relegated to the BLAST Premier Fall Showdown.

.@TEAMLIQUIDCS TAKES DOWN THE WORLD #1 AGAIN AND BOOK THEIR SPOT AT THE FALL FINAL! #BLASTPremier pic.twitter.com/crm1BTxkoD

— BLAST Premier (@BLASTPremier) August 3, 2024

Sunday’s BLAST Premier Fall Groups matches

• Astralis (-277.78) vs Ninjas in Pyjamas (+200) @ 2:30pm CEST
• Complexity (+400) vs Natus Vincere (-714.29) @ 5pm CEST

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The match required triple overtime to close out Ancient with a 22-20 scoreline, followed by a dominant 13-6 win on Virtus.pro’s Dust2 pick.

The Dutch Counter-Strike organisation recently underwent a significant overhaul, replacing Casper “?cadiaN?” M?ller, Felipe “?skullz?” Medeiros, and head coach Wilton “?zews?” Prado with Justin “?jks?” Savage, Roland “?ultimate?” Tomkowiak, and former Apeks coach Torbj?rn “?mithR?” Nyborg.

This was the jks’ first official match since being benched from G2 Esports in October 2023.

The relatively unknown ultimate joined the team after impressing players in Europe��s tier-three scene and passing the eye test of Russel “?Twistzz?” Van Dulken.

Twistzz, the 24-year-old Canadian, took up leadership duties as part of the overhaul, raising questions about his ability to maintain top-rated performances while guiding the team.

However, Liquid excelled in their first test against Virtus.pro.

The series started with both teams tied at 4-4 on Ancient, but jks and Mareks “?YEKINDAR?” Ga?inskis propelled Liquid to an 8-4 lead on the T-side and quickly reached map point in the second half, 12-7.

Dzhami “?Jame?” Ali’s clutch plays fueled a Virtus.pro comeback, leading to overtime.

In overtime, ultimate stepped up and carried Liquid to victory.

On Dust2, Virtus.pro initially led 4-1, but Twistzz’s secondary AWP and Keith “?NAF?” Markovic’s stellar B defence turned the tide.

Liquid led 7-5 at the half and dominated the second half, with Twistzz’s eco kills and a crucial 1vs3 clutch securing the win.

.@TeamLiquidCS pick up the victory on their debut #BLASTPremier pic.twitter.com/LajngaRPpQ

— BLAST Premier (@BLASTPremier) July 31, 2024

Meanwhile, in Group C, Cloud9 pursued their first victory with a new lineup but fell to FaZe Clan in overtime.

Sergey “?Ax1Le?” Rykhtorov, Kaisar “?ICY?” Faiznurov, and Nikita “?HeavyGod?” Martynenko formed a formidable trio.

Despite a strong defence on Dust2 and a comeback attempt, FaZe triumphed with a strong performance from David “?frozen?” ?er��ansky on Mirage.

Frozen, who struggled on Inferno, excelled in the decider, helping FaZe secure their spot in the upper bracket final.

.@FaZeEsports secure victory on the opening day of Group C! #BLASTPremier pic.twitter.com/TB7miVYtpy

— BLAST Premier (@BLASTPremier) July 31, 2024

Meanwhile, G2 Esports and Natus Vincere took care of their opening round fixtures against Ninjas in Pyjamas and BIG, respectively.

Both Esports World Cup finalists recorded relatively straight-forward 2-0 victories in their clashes, with NaVi setting up an intriguing upper bracket final against Team Liquid and G2 meeting FaZe Clan.

Thursday’s Fall Groups matches

• FaZe Clan (+125) vs G2 Esports (-175.44) @ 12pm CEST
• Cloud9 (-151.52) vs Ninjas in Pyjamas (+110) @ 2:30pm CEST
• Natus Vincere (-277.78) vs Team Liquid (+200) @ 5pm CEST
• BIG (+240) vs Virtus.pro (-333.33) @ 7:30pm CEST

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