The Danes entered the 2019 Berlin Major as one of the two favourites to win the tournament, alongside Team Liquid, despite their less than impressive performances in the last few months.
Their failure to win a single tournament since the IEM Katowice Major in early March caused a lot of concerns about the team’s future.
Some speculated the ‘Astralis era’ had ended, but they silenced their doubters in Germany and cemented themselves as the most successful team in the history of Counter-Strike majors.
The Danish titans crushed AVANGAR 16-6 and 16-5 in two swift maps in front of a packed house at the Mercedes-Benz Arena to add a fourth major crown to their already impressive collection of achievements.
Besides winning three in a row, Astralis also hold a perfect 18-0 run in playoffs during those major victories.
Peter “dupreeh” Rasmussen, Lukas “gla1ve” Rossander, Nicolai “device” Reedtz and Andreas “Xyp9x” H?jsleth are now the four most successful players in CS:GO with four major titles each, whereas Emil “Magisk” Reif joins Counter-Strike legends Robin “flusha” R?nnquist, Jesper “JW” Wecksell and Markus “pronax” Wallsten with a treble of major wins.
Device, who on that day celebrated his 24th birthday, was also awarded the MVP for his incredible performances throughout the tournament, which he concluded with a spectacular display of skill and a 1.71 match rating against AVANGAR.
On top of that, he finished the StarLadder Berlin Major as highest ranked player for KDD (+81), total kills (313) and AWP frags (148), in addition to reaching high numbers in seven other categories, including 0.82 kills per round, clutches won (seven) and opening duel success (65.8%).
Hoping we can repeat our success and even further improve, we have are once again offering you free betting predictions for StarLadder Berlin Legends Stage for the Thursday’s matches, where the top 16 CS:GO teams battle it out.
Renegades v AVANGAR predictions
You can learn how to watch CS:GO StarLadder Berlin Major here
Renegades (1.59) enter round two following a close 14-16 defeat against NRG, where they impressed with a solid second half (9-6). Unfortunately, that was not enough for Aaron “AZR” Ward and his crew to overcome their rivals.
Unlike Renegades who fought a close fight, AVANGAR (2.32) lost to ENCE with an embarrassing 5-16 score. While we believe Renegades will be an easier opponent for AVANGAR, it will be by no means be a match which they can easily win.
Prediction: Renegades to win at $1.59 at GG Bet.
Natus Vincere v DreamEaters tips
It’s hard to imagine NaVi (1.24) dropping the ball against DreamEaters (3.95), who did not produce anything noteworthy in their round one meet with Astralis (9-16).
As seen from DreamEaters performance on day one, they lack the needed quality and experience to stand up against the top dogs. Unfortunately for them NaVi is one of them. It’s now or never for NaVi, who will show no mercy on Thursday.
Prediction: NaVi -6.50, paying $2.00 with GG Bet
Ninjas in Pyjamas v CR4ZY predictions
Possibly one of the most entertaining matches of day two, with NiP (2.40) clashing with CR4ZY (1.55). NiP finished their day one fixture with a disappointing 12-16 defeat against MIBR, where they seemingly ran out of steam in the final rounds.
CR4ZY on the other side impressed with a very solid first half against Team Liquid (8-7), but just like NiP ran out of energy and couldn’t keep up with their opponents.
NiP might have produced a more eye-pleasing result in round one, yet they will have to be on top of their game to take down CR4ZY, who can, and will be a huge nuisance to any team they come across.
Prediction: CR4ZY to win at $1.55 with GG Bet
North v mousesports predictions
North (2.35) did not impress us with their loss against Vitality (9-16) where they showed us they were indeed very overrated ahead of the Legends Stage.
Mouz (1.58) on the other side got to see how FaZe perform when they are on top of their game. That being said, mousesports did make a few too many mistakes which contributed to their defeat.
This will be a must-win for both sides, and should they both be on top of their game, it will be mousesports who should emerge as the stronger team.
Prediction: mousesports to win paying $1.58 at GG Bet.
Team Liquid v NRG tips
Team Liquid (1.23) crushed their round one opponents and now look towards NRG (4.10) as their new victim.
In this fixture, NRG are outclassed in every possible way, which on top of their disastrous performance in the second half against Renegades makes us believe they have no chance against TL.
The round handicap is set at -5.5, which might be a bit tricky if Team Liquid once again drop the ball in the first half. However, we will trust them to be on top of their game and comfortably defeat NRG for the fifth time this season.
Prediction: Team Liquid -5.5 to win paying $1.87 at GG Bet.
FaZe v Vitality tips
FaZe (1.94) enter the fixture against Vitality (1.84) as slight underdogs, despite their solid performance against mouz in round one.
That is not to say Vitality were not just phenomenal against North (16-9), who were no match for Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut and his crew.
FaZe can be a very tough nut to crack when on top of their game, however, we do not feel comfortable betting against Vitality, who with their experience, firepower and deep map pool come off as a better pick here.
Prediction: Vitality to win, paying $1.84 at GG Bet.
ENCE v MIBR predictions
ENCE (1.30) are considered heavy favourites against MIBR (3.40), which is fair, considering MIBR are not of the same quality since they lost their star player Marcelo “coldzera” David.
The fact that MIBR failed to defeat ENCE in both Blast Pro Series Sao Paulo (0-1) and IEM Chicago (1-2), is a strong indicator they will struggle here as well.
Prediction: ENCE to win, paying $1.30 at GG Bet.
Astralis v G2 tips
Last but not least, a clash between Astralis (1.33) and G2 (3.25).
As we have stated in the previous prediction, G2 are a team that can impress just as easy as they can disappoint.
In round one of Legends stage against NaVi, they showed their stronger side, the question is, can do it again against the Danes?
Astralis might not be as strong as they were, but they are still a very strong and dangerous team. Holding onto a respectful 5-0 record against G2, they are expected to win here, yet we do predict G2 will put up a tough fight.
Prediction: Over 25.5 paying $1.71 with GG Bet.
With only the best of the best in the CS:GO esports scene left in the tournament, the upcoming five days promise to satisfy the needs of all Counter-Strike fans.
Let’s take a look at the latest CS:GO odds and the best bets for the next phase of the Berlin Major.
ENCE vs AVANGAR
ENCE ($1.44) are considered the favourites to win here and advance, which is fair considering they are facing one of the weaker teams left in the tournament.
AVANGAR ($2.62) did not produce anything in the Challenger stage that would make us believe they have quality to compete against the best.
The only thing that works in their favour is the fact this is a best-of-one (Bo1) match, which are known for upset wins, yet that is not enough for us to back the underdogs here.
ENCE to win – $1.44 at GG Bet
Astralis vs DreamEaters
Astralis ($1.14) might not be as strong as they used to be, but the Danes are still far superior to much of the competition.
While it is impressive that DreamEaters ($5.00) have made it this far, it is hard to find any reason to back them here.
Astralis will secure a comfortable win and show they are still one of the strongest CS:GO teams in the world.
Astralis -6.5 – $1.83 at GG Bet
NRG vs Renegades
While NRG ($1.33) and Renegades ($3.25) both hail from the United States, there is a gulf in class between the two franchises.
Despite an underwhelming performance in the last stage, NRG are clear favourites to win through the first round of the Legends section.
Form aside, the Los Angeles-based franchise has solid players, a deep map pool, and enough quality to get the job done.
NRG to win – $1.33 at GG Bet
Team Liquid vs CR4ZY
CR4ZY ($4.33) performed well in the last stage and are one of the most in-form teams of the tournament.
Despite that, the Serbs will not have an easy time against Team Liquid ($1.20), who need no introduction.
While CR4ZY look like a team that could push through and emerge as one of the top eight, they will struggle to keep up with TL.
Team Liquid to win – $1.20
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Vitality vs North
Vitality ($1.72) will hope to improve on their efforts in the Challengers stage, where they scraped through with a 3-2 record.
North ($2.00) had a much better time of it, winning all three of their fixtures to finish top of the table.
The Danes are outsiders in this clash, however, and it is tough to bet against a Vitality side that boasts an incredible map pool, superb players and a good record against some of the top teams in the world.
Vitality to win – $1.72
FaZe Clan vs mousesports
The experienced FaZe ($2.25) will clash with the ever-improving mousesports ($1.57) in one of the better matchups of the first round.
Mouz might have their moments of weakness, but it is only reasonable to underperform on occasion when you play so many maps.
Their biggest advantage is the rapid improvement of their younger players and consistent results from veterans, which will see them spring an upset here.
Mousesports to win – $1.57
Natus Vincere vs G2
NaVi ($1.53) enter their fixture against G2 ($2.37) as favourites, which is more than fair.
The CIS powerhouse boasts some very talented players, including Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev, and should have no issues reaching the top eight.
G2 have their moments of greatness and are capable of beating the stronger teams, but their inconsistency may well let them down on this occasion.
NaVi to win – $1.53 at GG Bet
MIBR vs Ninjas in Pyjamas
Possibly the closest match in the first round features two teams that are neither great nor terrible.
NiP ($1.80) and MIBR ($1.90) both have issues and may struggle to reach the final eight.
It is too close to call in the head-to-head stakes, but the Brazilians should cover a +2.5 map handicap.
MIBR +2.5 – $1.72 at GG Bet
Berlin Major Champions stage predictions
Last but not least, we will look over the StarLadder Berlin Major odds for advancing to the Champions stage.
Mousesports, Vitality (both $1.40) and ENCE ($1.57) are all underrated here. They are by no means guaranteed a top-eight spot, yet we do believe they have what it takes to finish there.
On the other side, FaZe ($2.25) and North ($1.66) are both offering generous odds to not advance into the final stage and could prove to be worth a punt.
FaZe have a long history of reaching deep into CS:GO Majors, yet they have not looked solid of late and may struggle against tough competition in the Legends stage.
North are slightly overrated due to their strong performance in the first stage. They did finish 3-0 there, yet they will have an extremely hard time producing the same results over the course of the tournament.
The tournament kicked off on Friday, August 23 with the Challenger series, which welcomed 16 CS:GO esports teams from all across the globe.
Out of 16 participants in the Challenger series, the most represented region was Europe with six teams, followed by CIS with four, the Americas with four and Asia with two.
Two of those American teams hailed from the ever-growing Brazilian esports scene, and both INTZ eSports and FURIA Esports headed to Germany with big ambitions after failing to make an impact at the IEM Katowice Major.
FURIA finished 20th-22nd in Poland back in March, while INTZ had never reached the main draw of a Major until they qualified for this year’s event in Berlin via the play-ins.
Hoping to make their country proud and qualify for the Legends stage, the two teams jumped into the arena with varying degrees of success.
FURIA completely dismantled HellRaisers in round one (16-6), which earned them a spot in round two, where they met their match in the Serbian squad CR4ZY.
A close fixture that started in FURIA’s favour took a sudden turn in the second half, when CR4ZY tore through them with an impressive 10-2 run to win the match 16-11.
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Next on the menu for FURIA were forZe, who also outplayed FURIA in the second half to serve Gustavo “yeL” Knittel and his teammates a painful 16-10 defeat.
FURIA’s last chance to earn a spot in the next stage was to win against Syman in round four, but the CIS team prevailed with a 16-9 win on Train followed by an even more impressive 16-7 win on Inferno.
INTZ eSports did not enjoy a very bountiful experience in their debut CS:GO Major venture.
An embarrassing 5-16 defeat against North in round one was followed with a 9-16 defeat against Vitality in round two, but INTZ had one last shot against the Australian top dogs, Grayhound.
The Brazilians started round three with a 5-16 defeat on Train, followed by a solid 16-14 win at Nuke to level the series.
Unfortunately, INTZ ran out of steam in the third and last map, where they suffered an embarrassing 7-16 defeat to end their maiden Major campaign with a 0-3 record and an alarming -36 round differential.
With INTZ eSports and FURIA Gaming both out of the tournament, MIBR are the last remaining hope for South America.
They qualified for Berlin with a strong third-fourth finish at IEM Katowice, but the recent departure of Marcelo “coldzera” David has left the team severely weakened.
The French CS:GO esports outfit earned New Challenger status for the tournament by finishing 12th-14th at IEM Katowice Major in early March, meaning they had to fight their way through the first stage in order to qualify for the main event.
In the first fixture of the tournament, G2 faced off with the Chinese team TYLOO, who earned their ticket to the Berlin Major by finishing second at the Asia Minor Championship in late July.
Boasting a very talented team, TYLOO produced good results in the first half (6-9) but failed miserably in the second half (4-7) when G2’s defence proved to be too strong.
Winning the first match of the tournament did not mean a lot in terms of finishing top eight, yet it was a huge confidence boost for G2 ahead of their clash with the Russian underdogs DreamEaters, who defeated NRG (19-17) a day prior.
Knowing well the Russians should not be underestimated, G2 did not hesitate to showcase their full strength en route to a 16-9 win.
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G2 jumped into round three with two wins in their pocket as they prepared to face a familiar opponent, mousesports, who crushed forZe 16-6 in round one and followed up with a 19-17 win over AVANGAR.
The German side are known to cause G2 problems and lived up to that reputation with an impressive 2-1 comeback win after losing the first map 5-16.
Having lost their third match against mouz, G2 were paired with forZe in their last fixture of the Challenger stage.
The match kicked off on Dust II, where G2 pulled through with a 28-25 win after four gruelling overtime periods.
The series then went to Inferno, with the French side jumping out to a 11-4 lead at half-time en route to a comfortable victory.
While G2 secured a top-eight finish to reach the Legends stage, forZe went to the fifth round and bowed out of the tournament with a 0-2 defeat to DreamEaters.
The tournament will not lack in the diversity department, as the field consists of players from 32 different countries.
Of all the nationalities on display, Brazil and Russia are tied at the top with 15 representatives apiece fighting it out for a slice of the US $1 million prize pool.
The Brazilian esports scene has produced some of the biggest talents in the CS:GO world, including names such as Gabriel “FalleN” Toledo, Marcelo “coldzera” David, Yuri “yuurih” Santos and more.
Although is has been over 58 weeks since any team from the Americas region stood on top of the global rankings, the Latin American sides have proven time and time again that they belong among the world elite.
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The first Brazilian team to qualify for the Berlin Major were MIBR, who have gone through a lot since coldzera announced his decision to leave. Despite all their internal issues, MIBR managed a third-fourth place finish at IEM Chicago in July and will look to go even better in Germany.
FURIA, who are the highest-ranked team from Brazil (no.9), earned their place by finishing second at the Americas Minor. The team started off their playoff journey by losing to the eventual champions, NRG, but blitzed the lower bracket with wins over Sharks (2-0) and INTZ (2-1).
INTZ eSports were denied direct passage from the Americas Minor by their own compatriots, which meant they had to go through the play-in tournament for teams that placed third in the Minors. They did not enjoy the best start, losing 1-2 to DreamEaters in the opening match, but switched into a higher gear in the decider to secure their spot with a 2-0 win over MVP PK.
While boasting three representatives at the StarLadder Berlin Major, the Brazilian teams still have a lot to prove. Not only will the tournament include all of the top 10 teams in the world, it will also include some underdogs and dark horses that are more than capable of springing an upset on the big stage.
CR4ZY established themselves as a real contender for a Berlin Major spot following their perfect run in the group stage, where they took down Sprout 16-13 and then beat NoChance 2-0 in the winners’ game. They met their match in the semi-finals, however, falling to North on both Inferno (12-16) and Train (9-16).
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That defeat put CR4ZY into the losers’ bracket, where they faced Fnatic in the first round. The Serbs came out with all guns blazing and dismantled their North American opponents with a 16-13 score on both Train and Dust II to advance to the losers’ final.
There, they renewed hostilities with North, who had suffered a 2-0 defeat to mousesports in the winners’ final the day before. Tensions were high, as the match would not only decide which team joined mousesports in the Berlin Major, it would also give CR4ZY a chance to make North taste their own medicine.
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The losers’ finals took off on Mirage, where North jumped out to a 3-0 lead due to their seemingly impenetrable defence on the CT side. However, it did not take long for CR4ZY to break the Danish defence with a streak of great individual skill from Nemanja “nexa” Isakovic and Otto “ottoNd” Sihvo, who propelled their team into a dominant 10-5 lead before the teams switched sides.
The second half did not produce any surprises. CR4ZY maintained their momentum and proved they can defend just as well as they can attack, securing a 16-7 win only eight rounds after the break.
The second map of the series, Dust II, produced a back-and-forth fight between the two sides for the opening few rounds, but it was CR4ZY grabbed a 9-6 lead before the teams switched sides. Much of their success was due to the impressive performance of Nemanja “huNter” Kovac, who made sure he joined nexa and ottoNd as one of the key players that helped CR4ZY through the Berlin Major qualifiers.
With a smaller lead compared to that on Mirage, CR4ZY produced just as dominant a display as they did in the second half of the first map. Taking advantage of any mistake North made, CR4ZY won seven straight rounds to seal a 16-7 win and take the series 2-0.
With that, CR4ZY got not only a spot at the Berlin Major and $15,000 in prize money, they also got to avenge their defeat to North in the first round of playoffs. It’s also worth noting that nexa ended the finals as MVP with 46 kills, 20 deaths and 1.74 rating, which is well over his 1.14 rating average for 2019.