Prelude: Virtus.pro vs Team Liquid

It is the second Semi-Final at IEM Katowice. It is CIS vs NA!

Virtus.pro - Team Liquid - 27/2: 18.30 (CET)

Team Liquid could probably not have imagined a Final Four weekend without Astralis, Natus Vincere, and Team Vitality, and still not be dubbed as favorites. The North Americans have delivered so far at IEM Katowice with five straight wins from the Play-in to the Group Final against NAVI, but still they find themselves in a underdog role against Virtus.pro. At IEM Katowice the top performer has once again been Jonathan "EliGE" Jablonowski for Team Liquid, while Michael "Grim" Wince has been struggeling a bit. If the NA team wants another Grand Final in the books, they need all of their players to chip in.

On the opposite side, we have Virtus.pro. A team that has impressed a lot during IEM Katowice with wins against Astralis, Team Vitality, and Furia. In the Play-in tournament, the team lost to Ninjas in Pyjamas, and it is that inconsistency, that seems to be their biggest enemy. Can they deliver once again? YEKINDAR has together with sh1ro from Gambit been the big revelations at this event, and together with Jame, he has found a style that fits him, and brings success to the team.

Their last encounter was one year ago at IEM Katowice 2020. Here Team Liquid won 2-0. See highlights from the match here.

Veto: We will have no Nuke or Train today, which are the two perma-bans from the two rosters. Train is usually a weak map for Virtus.pro, so the ban from Team Liquid will definitely favor the CIS team. Overpass, Dust2, or Inferno could all be picked by Virtus.pro. Dust2 seems to be the weakest map for Team Liquid, so this may be the way to go. Team Liquid has won three maps in a row on Vertigo, but Virtus.pro also holds a good record on the map, so maybe Mirage could be a possible option for the NA team. Our guess is Dust2 (VP), Mirage (TL), and Overpass as the decider.

Odds: Virtus.pro (1.57) - Team Liquid (2.25)