Moving on to the second half of the ESL Pro League Season 20 (EPL S20) Group Stage, Groups C and D have been the focus of fans’ attention and have provided some exciting moments and a few surprises. Since both teams have qualified for the playoffs, it is high time to look at the highlights of the Malta season.
M80 and Imperial Punch Their Tickets to the Playoffs
When Group C started, nobody would have thought that M80 and Imperial would be playoff contenders through the Upper Bracket. And yet here we are, both teams rising above the odds and making their way to the EPL S20 Playoffs.
M80’s journey was not a smooth sail at all. Following a hard-fought battle against Complexity in North America, they were tested to the very edge in a record-breaking match against Fnatic. The match was a very intense one that went through eight overtimes and it was M80 that emerged victorious with a 37-34 scoreline. This was a new record for professional CS2, as the number of rounds played in a single map was 71. This battle will surely be remembered as one of the most memorable in the history of CS2.
On the other hand, Imperial’s playoff run has been equally as good as the Warriors in the playoffs. Beginning with a reverse sweep against BIG, they went on to defeat the ESL Pro League champions MOUZ 2-0. Imperial has shown that they are a team to be reckoned with, especially with players like decenty coming through. Now, the two teams will compete to get a chance to move directly to the Quarterfinals.
Liquid and Vitality Remain Firm
In Group D, things have been slightly more predictable with the tournament favourites Liquid and Vitality living up to the billing and booking their place in the Upper Bracket.
Liquid have been on fire, beating both ENCE and Virtus.pro without losing a single map. The team’s success raises the question: is this still the honeymoon period of Twistzz as the in-game leader or is this the start of a new chapter for Liquid? Liquid has a very strong team that looks like a serious contender going into the playoffs, and ultimate, who was a relatively unknown talent from Poland, has shown that he is worthy of his place on the team with his outstanding performance.
Vitality also easily qualified for the group stage, but they had a close call in the first map against ATOX. However, their dominance in the match against FURIA, where they put together a string of rounds on both maps, proves that the team’s momentum from the Cologne triumph is still going strong.
MOUZ and Astralis Face Last Chance Struggles
It has been a bumpy journey for both MOUZ and Astralis, and now they are in the Last Chance Bracket of Group C, which is not a place that anyone would have expected for such high-ranked teams.
The worst performance has been recorded by MOUZ. The ESL Pro League two-time defending champions were on the brink of being eliminated by Rooster in the first match, but xertioN’s clutch 2v5 saved the team. But the luck did not last long as they did not manage to win a single map against both Imperial and Complexity. While xertioN is the only player who comes even remotely close to his abilities, MOUZ will have to get their act together if they want to avoid an early elimination in Malta.
Astralis are in the same boat as well. The much-discussed return of Dev1ce to the roster has already faded into the background, and the Danish team’s problems have persisted. Dev1ce and his teammates have been below par, and this has led to the team’s loss to Fnatic and Complexity. Astralis appears far from capable of posing any serious threat at this point, and unless there is a miracle, they will not be able to go deep into EPL S20.
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