If you had Astralis completely dismantling Team Spirit in your bingo card, you might just be a time traveler. In what is undoubtedly their most significant victory in a very long time, the Danish squad swept the Russian juggernauts 2-0 (13-6 on Dust2, 13-7 on Ancient) in front of the Stockholm crowd to secure their semifinal spot.
Going into a high-stakes playoff quarterfinal, Spirit was the overwhelming favorite, boasting heavy hitters like donk and sh1ro. However, Astralis captain Rasmus “HooXi” Nielsen had other plans, calling an absolute tactical masterclass. Astralis used pinpoint utility to constantly blind and isolate donk, shutting down Spirit’s entry attempts before they even began. The Danes got off to 7-0 leads on both maps to completely silence Spirit’s hopes early on.
The undisputed MVP of the server was Astralis’ AWPer Love “phzy” Smidebrant. Playing in his home country, phzy secured a mind blowing 1.76 rating and 41 kills across the series, completely outclassing his opponents and proving that this new look Astralis roster is a genuine Tier 1 threat.
ESL Pro League Season 23: Quarterfinal Results
It was a day defined by massive upsets, as both tournament favorites (Spirit and MOUZ) were unceremoniously sent packing by heavy underdogs.
- Astralis vs. Team Spirit: Astralis dominates 2 to 0 (13 to 6 on Dust2 and 13 to 7 on Ancient) behind phzy’s 1.76 rating.
- FUT Esports vs. MOUZ: FUT pulled off a massive upset to win 2 to 1 against tournament favorites MOUZ after a tense Mirage decider.
- Natus Vincere vs. The MongolZ: NAVI’s new prodigy
makazzedropped a 1.87 rating to sweep the series 2 to 0, winning 13 to 11 on Ancient and 13 to 4 on Mirage. - Aurora vs. Legacy: Aurora pushed past Legacy’s new arT led roster 2 to 1 to advance to the final four.
Today’s Schedule: The Semifinals
With the bracket blown wide open, the race for the $150,000 grand prize and the EPL S23 trophy continues today. Here is the schedule for today’s semifinals (March 14, 2026):
- Semifinal 1 (15.45 CET): Natus Vincere vs. FUT Esports
- Semifinal 2 (19.00 CET): Astralis vs. Aurora
