The move reunites cadiaN with his former Heroic teammates, Martin “stavn” Lund and Jakob “jabbi” Nygaard, less than a year after their public split from Heroic.

The Danish trio’s reunion is notable, given that stavn and jabbi’s decision not to play with cadiaN was a key factor in their departure from Heroic.

Despite the rocky history, cadiaN emphasised that the past issues have been addressed and the team is now fully aligned.

“We’re still hungry for trophies and share the same tactical vision that drove our success before,” he said.

This transition marks cadiaN’s move from Team Liquid, where he was recently benched, to leading Astralis.

This change also allows Nicolai “device” Reedtz, the legendary nine-time top-20 player, to return to his former role as Astralis’ primary AWPer.

Device had taken on the IGL role earlier in 2024, but after a period of mixed results, including disappointing exits at IEM Cologne and ESL Pro League, he openly expressed frustration with his performance.

CadiaN��s arrival now shifts leadership duties away from device, allowing him to focus on his AWPing.

Astralis’ revamped roster includes device as the AWPer, cadiaN as the IGL and rifler, with Staehr, jabbi, and stavn rounding out the lineup.

The team is set to debut under cadiaN’s leadership at the BLAST Premier Fall Final 2024 in Copenhagen before turning their attention to the Shanghai RMR in hopes of qualifying for their first Major since 2022.

Astralis�� sports director, Kasper Straube, expressed excitement about cadiaN’s arrival, calling him a “winner��energetic and passionate in everything he does.”

The organisation hopes that his tactical prowess and leadership will help them return to the top of global Counter-Strike competition.

CadiaN himself said he shares Astralis’ vision of striving to be the best, and despite past controversies, he is committed to building a top Danish team that competes for major titles.

The move marks a bold new chapter for Astralis as they aim to reclaim their place among the world’s elite teams.

Welcome cadiaN Rifler & IGL pic.twitter.com/bd6poJn0zt

— Astralis Counter-Strike (@AstralisCS) September 17, 2024

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Both teams faced challenges, but Complexity’s individual prowess carried them over the line in overtime on Vertigo (19-17) and Inferno (16-14).

Complexity now faces Imperial Esports, while Astralis battles Rooster to stay alive in the Counter-Strike 2 tournament.

Despite rebuilding their roster after failing to qualify for the PGL Major Copenhagen, Astralis has seen their form decline since notable top-four finishes at IEM Chengdu and ESL Pro League Season 19.

Their recent loss to Fnatic in the EPL opener left them hoping for a rebound against a struggling Complexity.

However, Astralis fell short, with star AWPer Nicolai “device” Reedtz underperforming, leading to an apology on social media.

Not the best time to be on SoMe, but anyways want to give some insight to the fans.
Really disappointed with myself these last 2 games, not only as the awp but also IGLing.
Doing my best to bounce back I assure you

— Nicolai Reedtz (@dev1ce) September 11, 2024

Poor offensive play and bizarre mid-round decisions added to their woes.

Complexity, though far from perfect, edged out Astralis thanks to standout performances from Jonathan “EliGE” Jablonowski and H?kon “hallzerk” Fj?rli.

While Complexity may not take much pride in barely defeating an out-of-form Astralis, their better gun round performance on Inferno and individual firepower got the job done.

@imperialesports ARE IN THE #ESLProLeague XX PLAYOFFS @vini @felperaa @nowayzao@decentycs @TRYZSE1@zakkcs pic.twitter.com/oj06PR67Mj

— ESL Counter-Strike (@ESLCS) September 11, 2024

MOUZ also saw disappointment in their ESL Pro League campaign, losing to Imperial in overtime on Dust2 (16-14) and Inferno (16-13).

Despite being ranked No. 1 earlier this year and having a strong season, MOUZ faltered, with players like Ludvig “Brollan” Brolin struggling significantly, posting just six kills on Inferno.

Imperial capitalised on MOUZ��s mistakes, with standout performances from Lucas “decenty” Bacelar and Jo?o “felps” Vasconcellos, advancing them to a seeding match.

#ESLProLeague XX Playoffs secured for @M80gg! pic.twitter.com/d4rsL4y3KM

— ESL Counter-Strike (@ESLCS) September 11, 2024

M80 made headlines with a record-breaking 71-round match against fnatic on Anubis, the longest Counter-Strike 2 map on HLTV.

M80 won the epic battle in octuple overtime (37-34) before also taking Inferno in extra time (16-13).

Their victory secured a playoff spot and marked a breakthrough for North American CS, making them the first NA team outside Complexity and Liquid to reach Big Event playoffs since 2019.

Thursday’s ESL Pro League matches

• ATOX Esports ($6.50) vs Team Falcons ($1.10) @ 1:30pm CEST
• Team Liquid ($1.57) vs Virtus.pro ($2.25) @ 1:30pm CEST
• ENCE ($1.72) vs RED Canids ($2.00) @ 4:30pm CEST
• Team Vitality ($1.16) vs FURIA Esports ($4.50) @ 4:30pm CEST
• Complexity ($3.00) vs MOUZ ($1.36) @ 7:30pm CEST
• BIG ($2.00) vs Fnatic ($1.75) @ 7:30pm CEST

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Group C at ESL Pro League Season 20 starts with a clash between Astralis and Fnatic, who have yet to face off this season. But even with no head-to-head fixtures, it is easy to see why Astralis are expected to win.

Nicolai “dev1ce” Reedtz and co. have not won a tournament this year and didn’t make it very far at Intel Extreme Masters Cologne 2024 in August. However, Astralis have posted promising performances against the world’s elite teams over the last month, which gives hope they are slowly finding momentum.

Fnatic are 2-3 from their last five series, with those wins coming against Cloud9 and OG — hardly world-beaters. Nevertheless, they have shown improvement, and with the talent on this roster, they should be able to make some noise in Malta.

At $1.65 to take a map off Astralis, Fnatic are an obvious choice.

Imperial Esports are priced as slight favourites to defeat BIG, who have failed to find much success at the top level this year. On the other side, Imperial have not won any significant titles either, so it is not like the teams’ accomplishments are the main differentiating factor.

The Brazilians are in a much better spot in terms of map pools, with a better win rate on all maps except for Ancient, which is BIG’s second-best map, but it will likely get banned. Imperial also come out ahead on individual form, with all five players averaging a 1.04 performance rating or higher.

Despite all that, we have to consider that Imperial have been playing weaker opponents than BIG of late. Expect a close affair.

Team Liquid had an explosive start to IEM Cologne 2024 at the beginning of August but failed to make it past FaZe Clan (twice) and crashed out of the tournament in seventh-eighth place. Prior to that, Liquid won BLAST Premier Fall Groups 2024, and they did well at IEM Dallas 2024, so something is working for this lineup.

Since their former lineup fell apart, ENCE have not come close to winning a single big event. They’ve been particularly disappointing over the last month, with early exits from IEM Rio 2024, Perfect World Shanghai Major 2024, and ThunderPick World Championship 2024 qualifiers.

As the latest Counter-Strike esports odds suggest, this should be a one-sided affair. Anything less than a 2-0 sweep would be a major disappointment for Team Liquid.

Complexity beat M80 16-14 in the second round of the Esports World Cup 2024 in July, and they are expected to do just as well on Tuesday. This is unsurprising considering Complexity’s solid performances over the next month, which includes competitive games against the world’s elite teams.

M80 have also shown excellent form throughout August, although most of their wins have come from ESL Challenger League Season 48: North America, where Elias “s1n” Stein and co. faced lesser regional opponents.

Complexity are a more proven team at the top level. However, clashes between regional rivals are often closer than expected, which makes M80 a solid pick to take at least one map.

RED Canids are one of the lowest-ranked Counter-Strike teams at ESL Pro League Season 20, and according to the top Counter-Strike betting sites, they are not expected to make it very far. At $4.15, RED Canids are given a 24.1% implied probability of winning, but they face a Virtus.pro outfit that is not in the best shape.

The Russians are 3-7 from their last 10 outings, with those wins coming against Zero Tenacity, BIG, and the struggling Team Falcons. While that run includes clashes with stronger teams than what RED Canids have had to face, it does not change the fact that Virtus.pro have not been playing well.

RED Canids are in stronger form and have a better win rate on six of the seven maps in the rotation. Even though VP are rightly the favourites, the underdogs should be good for one map.

Esports betting tips

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Team Vitality and MOUZ locked in their playoff spots for the Counter-Strike 2 tournament with wins over FaZe Clan and Complexity in their respective upper bracket semi-finals in Group B.

Vitality and FaZe played out a hard-fought three-map series, with the former taking the series 2-1 (8-13, 16-12, 13-9), even though their star player, Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut, had little influence on the clash.

FaZe picked Inferno for the first map, and with strong performances from key players like Robin “ropz” Kool and H?vard “rain” Nygaard, they took an early lead in the series with a 13-8 victory.

Although Vitality was forced into overtime on their map pick of Dust2, Shahar “flameZ” Shushan stepped up and carried the world number four to a 16-12 win, forcing a decider on Anubis.

The squads couldn’t be separated at halftime, locked at 6-6, before heading into the final half of the match.

However, Vitality, led by flameZ again, would win seven of the final 10 rounds on their terrorist side to close out the map and series, 13-9.

It's a reverse sweep from @TeamVitality to best @FaZeClan and secure themselves a spot in the #IEM Cologne Playoffs

8-13 Inferno
16-12 Dust 2
13-9 Anubis pic.twitter.com/ZveNmSxktV

— Intel? Extreme Masters (@IEM) August 12, 2024

On the other side of the bracket, MOUZ took care of Complexity 2-0 (13-9, 13-11), with Jimi “Jimpphat” Salo, Ludvig “Brollan” Brolin, and ��d��m “torzsi” Torzs��s dominating for the world number three.

Torzsi, who led the way on Vertigo, recorded a server-high rating (1.39) and kills (19) to power MOUZ to a 13-9 win on Complexity’s map pick.

MOUZ picked Nuke, and even though it was much closer than the opening map, Brollan (1.54 rating) and Jimpphat (1.47 rating) led the way in a hard-fought 13-11 victory.

MOUZ will face Vitality in the Group B upper bracket final, with the winner locking in a semi-final spot and the loser having to settle for a quarter-final berth.

It's a not so simple 2-0 for @mousesports as they close out the series vs @ComplexityCS after a bit of back and forth.

13-9 Vertigo
13-11 Nuke pic.twitter.com/3pdL1WsgGc

— Intel? Extreme Masters (@IEM) August 12, 2024

Earlier in the day, FURIA and Virtus.pro were eliminated from the IEM Cologne after suffering their second defeat of the group stage.

FURIA’s second straight 0-2 loss, this time against Team Liquid, ended their disappointing campaign in Cologne, while VP was knocked out by Falcons in a back-and-forth three-map series.

Finally, The Mongolz and Astralis had their runs ended by paiN Gaming and G2 Esports, respectively, in the lower bracket of Group A.

G2 continued their IEM Cologne resurgence with a 2-1 (13-1, 13-10, 13-3) victory, where the world number four dominated their Danish opponents on two of the three maps.

The Mongolz suffered a similar fate to their upper bracket loss on Sunday, as they claimed the opening map before losing the next two, going down 1-2 (13-16, 13-10, 13-8) against paiN.

The final day of the group stage will take place on Wednesday, with the final two teams locking in their spots to compete in the LANXESS Arena.

Wednesday’s IEM Cologne fixtures

• Falcons ($2.75) vs FaZe Clan ($1.40) @ 1:30pm CEST
• Team Liquid ($1.44) vs Complexity ($2.62) @ 1:30pm CEST
• G2 Esports ($1.16) vs paiN Gaming ($4.50) @ 3:45pm CEST
• Natus Vincere ($1.20) vs SAW ($4.33) @ 3:45pm CEST
• MOUZ ($2.00) vs Team Vitality ($1.72) @ 6:45pm CEST
• Winner of FaZe Clan/Falcons vs Winner of Complexity/Team Liquid @ 6:45pm CEST

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The world number two entered IEM Cologne 2024 as the $3.50 favourite with esports betting sites, but after falling to The Mongolz in the opening round, Spirit were faced with a daunting task against G2 in the lower bracket to remain in the tournament.

G2, who were also upset by a play-in stage qualifier, had their IEM Cologne title defence dealt an early blow after suffering a 0-2 loss against SAW.

The do-or-die series began on Spirit’s map pick of Nuke, and it was Nemanja ‘huNter-‘ Kova? who started off hot for G2, recording five kills in the first two rounds to set the tone.

The Kova? cousins, Nikola ‘NiKo’ Kova? and huNter-, dominated for G2 in the first half, propelling the squad to a 9-3 halftime lead.

Three first-half rounds would be the only round wins that Spirit claimed, as G2 quickly wrapped up the map 13-3.

Only Danil ‘donk’ Kryshkovets cracked double-digit kills (10), while Myroslav ‘zont1x’ Plakhotia struggled with four kills and 37.9 ADR on Nuke.

Following a lacklustre performance on their map, Spirit was tasked with playing G2’s pick of Mirage.

However, G2 started Mirage with four straight rounds on the terrorist side before Spirit won their first, thanks to three kills from zont1x.

Unfortunately for Spirit, G2 continued their dominance and finished the half with a massive 11-1 lead before closing out the series with a 13-1 demolition.

.@G2CSGO absolutely DOMINATE @Team__Spirit in the lower bracket of Group A, eliminating the Katowice champions in the process!

13-3 Nuke
13-1 Mirage pic.twitter.com/Fo5lFZABef

— ESL Counter-Strike (@ESLCS) August 11, 2024

Spirit has been sent packing from IEM Cologne following an embarrassing performance, which saw them win just four rounds in the clash with G2.

9z Team joined Spirit in last place after they were eliminated from Cologne by paiN Gaming in a back-and-forth three-map series, with paiN completing the reverse sweep after losing the first map.

Meanwhile, Natus Vincere (NaVi) and SAW secured their spots in the LANXESS Arena following their victories in the Group A upper bracket semi-finals.

NaVi proved too strong for Astralis and took the series 2-0 (13-4, 13-7).

SAW was pushed to their limits against The Mongolz, as they played all three maps and eventually claimed the series 2-1 (13-16, 13-7, 13-10).

The IEM Cologne group stage will continue on Monday, with two elimination matches scheduled to kick off the day.

Monday’s IEM Cologne group stage fixtures

• Team Liquid ($1.40) vs FURIA ($2.75) @ 1:30pm CEST
• Virtus.pro ($1.66) vs Falcons ($2.10) @ 1:30pm CEST
• Complexity ($3.00) vs MOUZ ($1.36) @ 3:45pm CEST
• FaZe Clan ($2.37) vs Team Vitality ($1.53) @ 3:45pm CEST
• Astralis ($2.37) vs G2 ($1.53) @ 6:45pm CEST
• The Mongolz ($1.53) vs paiN Gaming ($2.37) @ 6:45pm CEST

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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 ($1.36) vs Ninjas in Pyjamas ($3.00) @ 2:30pm CEST
• Complexity ($5.00) vs Natus Vincere ($1.14) @ 5pm CEST

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The Counter-Strike match showcased Vitality’s resilience after a shaky start, particularly on Inferno, where FaZe dominated early.

Despite a 13-4 defeat, Vitality bounced back emphatically on Dust2 and Mirage, showcasing superior form and strategy.

Dan “apEX” Madesclaire highlighted the team’s turnaround, acknowledging the initial struggle but commending their comeback spirit.

.@TeamVitality are heading to the Semi-Finals! #BLASTPremier pic.twitter.com/xM0ugHdazi

— BLAST Premier (@BLASTPremier) June 14, 2024

He emphasized Vitality’s confidence on Dust2 and Mirage, where they outplayed FaZe decisively.

Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut’s standout performance was pivotal, underlining his impact with a remarkable 1.55 rating.

The loss marked a disappointing end to FaZe’s tournament run, their third consecutive quarter-final exit.

Team captain Finn “karrigan” Andersen expressed disappointment, acknowledging the team’s failure to meet expectations despite their high standards.

In another quarter-final clash, Virtus.pro defeated Astralis 2-0 (13-8, 13-10), showcasing resilience and strategic prowess.

Virtus.pro, led by Dzhami “Jame” Ali, overcame early deficits on Inferno and Dust2 to secure a semi-final berth against Natus Vincere.

Astralis, despite initial leads, faltered against Virtus.pro’s tactical manoeuvres, ending their season with mixed results.

In-game leader Nicolai “device” Reedtz lamented missed opportunities and expressed a desire for stronger finishes.

.@virtuspro are on their way to the Semi-Finals in London! #BLASTPremier pic.twitter.com/rU3qJCmKlH

— BLAST Premier (@BLASTPremier) June 14, 2024

Saturday’s Spring Final matches

• Team Spirit ($1.72) vs Team Vitality ($2.00) @ 4pm BST
• Natus Vincere ($1.72) vs Virtus.pro ($2.00) @ 7pm BST

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Following the second and final day of the group stage, G2 Esports and SAW were eliminated in seventh-eighth place after suffering defeats at the hands of Team Vitality and Astralis, respectively.

Although G2��s star AWPer, Ilya ��m0NESY�� Osipov, arrived in London at the venue just minutes before their series started, the lack of reps and play time for the Counter-Strike squad showed as they fought hard but couldn’t secure pivotal rounds.

Vitality would take the series 2-1 (13-4, 9-13, 13-5) with G2 only able to secure Vitality’s map pick of Anubis, thanks to Nikola ��NiKo�� Kovac putting the team on his back and recording a map-high 1.51 rating.

Demonstrating their dominance, every player on Vitality recorded a positive kill/death differential and a rating above one, with Mathieu ��ZywOo�� Herbaut leading the way with a series-high 1.44 rating and +19 K/D.

.@kingmezii WILL play in front of the home crowd as @TeamVitality secure the series! #BLASTPremier pic.twitter.com/GrEsCaGCJS

— BLAST Premier (@BLASTPremier) June 13, 2024

Meanwhile, SAW was thrashed by a much-improved Astralis in two maps, as the Nicolai “device” Reedtz�� led squad claimed Dust2 13-6, thanks to a vintage performance from the in-game leader.

After a dominant first map, it was device again who would lead a second map stomp, as the Danish roster only needed 16 rounds to claim Mirage 13-3 and wrap up the series.

Topping the charts in terms of ratings for the second day, device finished with a massive 1.90 rating out of 2, +23 kill/death difference, and 109.9 ADR.

.@AstralisCS are heading to the OVO Wembley Arena #BLASTPremier pic.twitter.com/BFCTWmd8I2

— BLAST Premier (@BLASTPremier) June 13, 2024

Although the other four teams didn��t risk elimination, the results would set up the playoff bracket, with Natus Vincere getting the better of FaZe Clan 2-1 (13-5, 9-13, 13-10), and Team Spirit proved the superior team in their region as they bested fellow Russian squad Virtus.pro 2-0 (13-4, 13-11).

With the loss, FaZe will clash with Team Vitality in the opening match on Friday, where the winner will advance to the semi-finals to take on Team Spirit.

Later, Virtus.pro and Astralis will clash for the right to play against Natus Vincere in the other semi-final on Saturday.

Friday’s Spring Final matches

• FaZe Clan ($2.07) vs Team Vitality ($1.74) @ 4pm BST
• Astralis ($1.62) vs Virtus.pro ($2.27) @ 7pm BST

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This victory marked a turnaround for the Counter-Strike powerhouse, following some lukewarm performances at previous events like ESL Pro League and IEM Dallas.

The match against SAW saw a fierce battle unfold, particularly on Ancient, where SAW initially seized control with a dominant lead.

Despite FaZe facing match point, they staged an impressive comeback, pushing the game into overtime and eventually clinching the win.

Nuke, though floated as a comfort map for both teams, wasn’t necessary as FaZe displayed their prowess on Inferno, securing the series convincingly.

First W of the Spring Final secured for @FaZeEsports #BLASTPremier pic.twitter.com/pffNGLCDFc

— BLAST Premier (@BLASTPremier) June 12, 2024

Meanwhile, Natus Vincere made a strong statement with a swift 2-0 (13-11, 13-9) victory over Astralis, bouncing back from a disappointing IEM Dallas showing.

Their win over the Danish giants set them up for a showdown against FaZe, while Astralis geared up to face SAW in a bid to stay alive in the tournament.

No dramas for @natusvincere on the opening day of the Spring Groups #BLASTPremier pic.twitter.com/b7rLBvSXF8

— BLAST Premier (@BLASTPremier) June 12, 2024

Virtus.pro, after breaking a four-series losing streak, secured a hard-fought 2-1 (5-13, 13-11, 13-10) win over Vitality, propelling them to the upper bracket final of Group B.

Despite trailing on Inferno and Dust2, Virtus.pro staged a remarkable comeback, particularly on Anubis, where they showcased their resilience and determination.

What a reverse sweep from @virtuspro, securing their spot in the Wembley Arena! #BLASTPremier pic.twitter.com/Gr057w7eEp

— BLAST Premier (@BLASTPremier) June 12, 2024

Team Spirit also started strong with a 2-1 (8-13, 13-7, 13-4) victory over G2 Esports, despite the latter fielding coach Wiktor ‘TaZ’ Wojtas instead of star player Ilya “m0NESY” Osipov due to visa issues.

Spirit’s triumph over G2, highlighted by their dominant performance on Anubis, sets up an intriguing clash against Virtus.pro in the upcoming matches.

.@Team__Spirit secure the final W of the opening day in London! #BLASTPremier pic.twitter.com/NXn4BOg4yL

— BLAST Premier (@BLASTPremier) June 12, 2024

Thursday’s Spring Final matches

• SAW ($4.15) vs Astralis ($1.22) @ 12pm BST
• FaZe Clan ($1.60) vs Natus Vincere ($2.32) @ 2:30pm BST
• Team Vitality ($1.60) vs G2 Esports ($2.28) @ 5pm BST
• Virtus.pro ($3.88) vs Team Spirit ($1.25) @ 7:30pm BST

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