Round #2 of the Swiss group stage has concluded, deciding four teams that are just a single victory away from the play-offs, and four teams that are one loss away from elimination.
Below are the standings upon conclusion of round two:
| 2-0 Win/Loss | 1-1 Win/Loss | 0-2 Win/Loss |
|---|---|---|
 BIG |  North |  PENTA Sports |
 Gambit Esports | mousesports | FaZe Clan |
 SK Gaming |  Natus Vincere | FlipSid3 Tactics |
 Virtus.pro | Immortals |  Vega Squadron |
 Cloud9 | ||
 G2 Esports | ||
| Astralis | ||
 Fnatic |
PENTA Sports vs. North - 0-1
de_Mirage - 9:16 (8:7, 1:11)
PENTA Sports burst into the first match of the day on the T side of the map. A successful pistol saw a spectacular performance from Jesse "zehN" Linjala and Kevin "kRYSTAL" Amend, who managed to dispatch the entire roster of North amongst the two of them, whereby the latter made work of two and subsequently expired, whilst the prior managed to clutch out a 1v2 situation, securing his team a foot into the map. The following two rounds saw uncontested victories for PENTA, as they utilised SMGs to their advantage, farming up some money for future rounds. Kevin "kRYSTAL" Amend also happened to secure a 4k with the MP7 in round three, greatly bolstering his personal money bag.
The first full buy was seen for North in round four, where the Danes were unable to put up a defence, falling to the hands of Jesse "zehN" Linjala who once again managed to secure a 3k for his team, two of which where landed in a 1v2 situation. A pistol buy from North in the following didn't yield results, furthering PENTA's streak to 5:0. The streak was cut come round six, as North were finally able to grab a round, largely thanks to 2ks from Kristian "k0nfig" Wiencke and Mathias "MSL" Lauridsen. Immediate retaliation from PENTA, as Kevin "HS" Tarn dispatched three members of North, followed by a 2k from Jesse "zehN" Linjala closing the round at 6:1. Yet again a reset economy meant that North were incapable of getting on the board, producing a 1:7 deficit. Fed up of the consecutive losses, Kristian "k0nfig" Wiencke stood up in the ensuing three rounds, landing a total of six over their course, hence massively contributing to a three round win streak for North, who were now looking at a closer 4:7 ballpark.
Round twelve saw a continuation of Kristian "k0nfig" Wiencke's kill streak as the Dane landed two more, however on this occasion even his massive performance wasn't able to salvage the round, as PENTA secured their eighth. In a valiant attempt at minimising their deficit by half time, North managed to accrue three consecutive rounds, with the entire team stepping up. Philip "aizy" Aistrup scored a 3k in round fourteen, closely followed by a 4k from René "cajunb" Borg in the fifteenth, concluding the initial half at 7:8 in favour of PENTA.
The second pistol round was accrued on this occasion by North. In a recurring theme, Kristian "k0nfig" Wiencke demolished his opponents, scoring four frags for his team. Team Captain, Mathias "MSL" Lauridsen swept the final frag up, securing a round equaliser, as well as a foot in the door of the latter half at 8:8. The Danes did not waste time in the following two rounds, easily picking up an extra two to extend their lead. Additionally, only three members of the roster were fragged during their course, meaning an extremely healthy economy going into PENTA's first full buy.
Round nineteen marked just that; however unfortunately for the European mix they were unable to fend off the aggressors, only able to frag three, two of which were courtesy of Kevin "HS" Tarn. Left in a 1v2 situation it was all down to Kevin "kRYSTAL" Amend but no cigar was found that day, as René "cajunb" Borg culled the final member of the opposition, furthering his team to 11:8. An economy in tatters was too much for PENTA in the following round, conceding one more prior to a decent buy. Even with the decent buy the team struggled, as a monstrous performance from Danish CS:GO superstar Kristian "k0nfig" Wiencke sabotaged their plans of a comeback via securing a 3k onto the defence. The round loss win bonus had accumulated to the maximum at this point, and the team was consistently able to purchase solid weaponry.
Round twenty-two marked PENTA's ninth round, where Miikka "sunNy" Kemppi and Kevin "HS" Tarn slaughtered the entire Danish roster, sporting two and three kills respectively. The performance from the two was admirable to say the least; however it ultimately proved futile, as a win bonus reset couple with a following round loss had crippled the CT's economy once again, leaving the team with a half buy, followed by a pistol buy. A poor economy proved to be the downfall of PENTA Sports, as the team conceded the final three rounds, producing a 16:9 victory for North.
mousesports vs. FaZe Clan - 1-0
de_Train - 19:15 (8:7, 7:8, 4:0)
The first round went to FaZe, who wiped Mouz without allowing a plant and for the loss of just two. The eco was made far more complicated than it needed to be, but FaZe were able to at least make it 2-0, then 3-0 after another Mouz eco. The early saves meant Tomáš "Oskar" Š?astný could take a AWP into the fourth, and he put that to good use as Mousesports got on the board at 3-1.
Mousesports were able to win two and tie it at three apiece, with Rain and Kioshima the last lines of defence on those occasions, before Robin "ropz" Kool took out a two v one to give his side their first lead, which they took on to 7-3. Denis "Denis" Howell nearly clutched an eighth, but Aleksi "Allu" Jalli finally woke up to clean things up, saving his AWP in the process, and FaZe took the next to boot. While they never got to god mode, FaZe were able to rally to the half at least, making it 8-7 to the German org at the break.
The second half started with a pistol win for Mouz, which gave Ropz an easy ace in the next. FaZe took the first gun round with no loss, thanks again to a rare moment of action from Allu, then made it 9-10. The next few were traded, with Allu beating Chris "ChrisJ" de Jong in a crucial one, but FaZe couldn’t make it two in a row. 13-10 became 13-11 as Mous tried to clutch out a famous win, but a shaky buy in the 25th put them in a tough spot, and FaZe took their chance, tying it up at 13-all as Mouz eco’d.
Reality seemed to set in for Mouz as FaZe took the lead for the first time in a while, making it 14-13, which became 15-14. Håvard "Rain" Nygaard stretched his legs a bit in the late stages, but the Mouz killers stood firm and took us to overtime. They made it 16-15, and even a plant in the next couldn’t stop them as they defused and sent NiKo packing to take a two round lead. Mouz took A control at 17-15 and went 18-15 ahead, then won the first of the second half to tie up the upset, and take a great win over the European super team.
FlipSid3 Tactics vs. Natus Vincere - 0-1
de_Train - 9:16 (7:8, 2:8)
FlipSid3 kicked the match-up off on the T side of affairs, with team star player Denis "electronic" Sharipov opening the B bomb site with two kills onto Na'Vi members. Na'Vi force buy pistols in round two, opting to upset the SMG/Rifle buy from FlipSid3. Massive economic damage was done, as the roster managed to dispatch three frags onto F3; however the round still went in favour of the green side at 2:0. The third round saw a comprehensive A site take from FlipSid3, clocking in the third of the map. Na'Vi's first buy came out, and the team was able to outlast their opponent in the round, as a failed double-fake from the opponents didn't work out, instead the team ran out of time, retaining two rifles going into the next round. Another round exceeded two minutes, with F3 conceding a digit to an overly slow pace. Yegor "markeloff" Markelov was the final living member of the Ts, able to save an AWP. Three frags were secured by the legendary AWPer in a 1v5 situation, however a team ace was not secured, equalising the score line at 3:3.
A failed gun round, followed by a broken economy saw FlipSid3 sustain two round losses, now at a 3:5 deficit. An opening on the B bombsite was found by FlipSid3 in the follow two rounds, allowing the team to equalise the score line back to an even 5:5. In the latter round Na'Vi had lost three members on B, opting to save an AWP and M4A1 on Ladislav "GuardiaN" Kovacs and Ioann "Edward" Sukhariev. The "Pistol King" ended up saving the very same M4A1 in the next round, as another successful B hit marked their third consecutive round victory. A 1v1 was seen in round twelve between star players of the respective teams in Denis "electronic" Sharipov and Aleksandr "s1mple" Kostyliev, where the prior managed an impressive long-range headshot onto the Ukrainian CS:GO prodigy, slamming a fourth consecutive for his team. Ladislav "GuardiaN" Kovacs and Denis "seized" Kostin stood up for their roster in the following round, landing two each to cripple FlipSid3's chances of a fifth consecutive round. Instead Na'Vi finally landed a round, decreasing their deficit to 6:7. Another victory for Na'Vi forced F3 into a weakened buy with three UMP45s an AK-47 and a P250. A great performance from Yan "wayLander" Rakhonen on the rifle, as the Finn landed two frags, however follow up was not seen, as Na'Vi close the first half at 8:7.
Natus Vincere secure a bomb plant on the B site after an A site stack turned into a bomb rotation to B. All members barring Aleksandr "s1mple" Kostyliev were dispatched, leaving the Ukrainian sprinting against the ten second defuse timer held down by Yegor "markeloff" Markelov. Sneaking in the bomb site was Georgi "WorldEdit" Yaskin, who fell to the Glock of the last remaining T. Unfortunately for s1mple he was seconds late to the party, as a successful defuse came through, despite this concessions were made, as a frag onto the defuse was landed at the end of the day. An AK-47 on Aleksandr "s1mple" Kostyliev in the following round saw an incredible four frags, utterly demolishing the opposition's defence and morale, as the loss signified a subpar buy in the follow up. A fast B take from Na'Vi secured a 10:8 score line in the next round. Some more of the former, as yet another fast B rush lands Na'Vi and additional digit. Equipment was finally available for FlipSid3, as the team managed to systematically dispatch the offense in various areas of the map, grinding the team out, as well as subsequently landing a round in their favour at 9:11.
Egor "flamie" Vasiliev and Denis "seized" Kostin step up for Na'Vi in round twenty-one landing a 3k and 2k each, increasing their team's lead by one. Monetary issues were experienced by FlipSid3, able only to land a single frag onto the Ts in two rounds, conceding a further two at 9:14. A purchase from F3 was unfortunately shut down once more, bringing the CIS mix to the brink of a 0-2 record, as well as a return of a subpar economy. At map point Na'Vi were able to close out, as Yan "wayLander" Rakhonen found himself in a 1v3, where he managed to frag Egor "flamie" Vasiliev in a last-ditch effort, but the Russian member of Na'Vi was immediately traded by Aleksandr "s1mple" Kostyliev to close the series at 16:9.
Vega Squadron vs. Immortals - 0-1
de_Train - 6:16 (5:10, 1:6)
The final match between 0-1 teams saw a collision between the Brazilian and Russian sides. A great start for Vega was seen, as Pavel "hutji" Lashkov score three frags, followed by the team shutting down the entire roster of Immortals one by one, as an A site advancement from Ivy proved a failure. A force buy from Immortals in the follower, concluding in a victory for the Brazilians, as SMGs were stolen after opening kills were secured. In addition, three members of Immortals made it out alive, allowing the team to save some money for coming rounds. A total stomp in the following round from the Brazilians, as Vega had but a few pistols to work with. Another sway in momentum at 1:3 for Vega Squadron, as the Russian roster purchased a full set of equipment, with Dmitry "jR" Chervak and Sergey "keshandr" Nikishin utilising it perfect with 2ks a head. Dmitry "jR" Chervak strikes once again in round six, dispatching three members of Immortals to equalise the round score for his team at 3:3.
Two round losses led to monetary issues for Vega Squadron at 3:5, where the team was unable to show up on the defence. A performance worth mentioning was that of Nikolay "MiR" Bityukov, who managed to utilise the Deagle to great effect in round eight, landing kills onto Vito "kNg" Giuseppe and Henrique "HEN1" Lucas, both of whom were working with AWPs. Due to the aforementioned financial issues, Vega conceded round nine, sporting half the score of the Brazilians at 3:6. A fifth consecutive loss for Vega, as Immortals kept pressing the issue, consistently out-aiming and out-smarting the defence. A spectacular lurk from Nikolay "MiR" Bityukov on Vega's pistol force saw the death of Henrique "HEN1" Lucas in middle, as well as the purveyal of an AWP, which was subsequently utilised by landing a kill onto Ricardo "boltz" Prass in Ivy. The A site was overrun eventually, however, with Vega sustaining yet another round loss at 3:8. No luck for Vega on their buy, as yet another strong performance from the Brazilians extended their lead. The Russians managed to secure two rounds to conclude the half, as a team effort on the A site saw a 5:10 half time score.
Immortals return with a pistol victory in the first round of their CT half, as Vito "kNg" Giuseppe and Ricardo "boltz" Prass account for three and two members of Vega respectively, securing a crucial foot in the latter half. A force buy from Vega was an attempt to recreate the performance of their opponents, however it fell through, yielding minor monetary loss for the team. A massacre in round three, as a bloodthirsty Brazilian roster hunted down members of Vega, four of which were dealt with by Lucas "LUCAS1" Teles' MP9. Dmitry "jR" Chervak scored a frag, only to be deleted by Ricardo "boltz" Prass on the B bomb site. Round nineteen saw a strong T side performance from Vega, where the roster managed to slay four members of Immortals, leaving Ricardo "boltz" Prass on his lonesome. The Brazilian managed to save his M4A1, however two members of Vega Squadron died to their own bomb plant, demonstrating inexperience and rather sloppy play. Immortals followed up with their fourteenth round victory, as a bomb plant on the A bomb site was successfully retaken by the Brazilians.
Another loss sustained by Vega meant map round for Immortals at 15:6. In an unfortunate sequence of events the Russians found them in a rather favourable 2v2 situation, however a read from Vito "kNg" Giuseppe saw a fantastic angle, where the Brazilian was able to dispatch the bomb planter on A, as well as an outplay in a 1v1 duel against Nikolay "MiR" Bityukov, who opted to push the AWP in Ivy. All odds stacked against them, Vega had an incredibly weak buy in what proved to be the final round, working only with upgraded pistols. 2ks from Lucas "steel" Lopes and Henrique "HEN1" Lucas followed by a frag from Ricardo "boltz" Prass meant a victory for Immortals at 16:6.
de_Inferno - 16:11 (12:3, 4:8)
Cloud9 secure the first pistol in flawless fashion, as not a single member of the team fell to the Glocks of BIG. Curiously, a bomb plant was secured by the German side, as a rush onto the B bomb site proved fruitful in that sense. A force buy from BIG on the back off the financial gain from the previous bomb plant had swayed the momentum of the round, as an A site advancement with ample utility caught Cloud9 off guard, with BIG securing a 1:1 score line. A limited buy from the Americans was seen in round three, whilst BIG had the upper hand with rifles, demolishing their opponents with relative ease. A full eco from C9 in the follower meant a fast loss, conceding their third consecutive round at 1:3. Cloud9 finally afford a full buy, placing three members on the defence of the A site. A fast advancement from BIG via apartments caught the Americans off guard, leaving all but Jake "Stewie2k" Yip dead. Cloud9's captain made the basic mistake of miscalculating bomb explosion damage, forfeiting his M4A1 instead of saving it for the next round. Upgraded pistols were no match for the Germans in the following round, extending BIG's lead to 5:1.
At six consecutive losses Cloud9 called for a timeout to discuss the development of the match and their plan going forward. The team was once again looking at a weak buy with four upgraded pistols and a MAG-7 on Jake "Stewie2k" Yip. The American was unable to find a close-range engagement on banana, shifting back to the B site. All members of Cloud9 eventually fell, not after dispatching three members of BIG. Further spiralling from Cloud9 as adaptation didn't work out for the Americans, with four members falling, leaving Tyler "Skadoodle" Latham saving an AWP against three members of BIG. Round ten saw Cloud9 secure their second round of the half, where Jake "Stewie2k" Yip and Timothy "autimatic" Ta scored a 2k each, complimented by a frag from Jordan "n0thing" Gilbert to close out the round, producing a 2:8 score for the team. In what seemed to be a recurring theme, Cloud9 were once more caught out by a swift advancement onto the A site from apartments, with their defence utterly shut down by the Germans. If it was any concession for the Americans, Jake "Stewie2k" Yip managed to save an M4A1 to use in the following round. A single frag was landed by the American, subsequently falling to the AWP of Kevin "keev" Bartholomäus.
A full eco was seen in the thirteenth round, where Cloud9 took a risk by stacking on the A bomb site, allowing BIG a free B take, as well as their eleventh round of the first half at 11:2. A monstrous performance from Tyler "Skadoodle" Latham, as after being pushed into sandbags at banana the AWPer managed to dispatch four members of BIG, who ran into his crosshair one by one. The ace was denied by BIG's AWPer Kevin "keev" Bartholomäus, however revenge was had by Jake "Stewie2k" Yip, securing C9's third round of the half. Johannes "tabseN" Wodarz took control of the final round of the initial half, as four frags were accrued by the German, devastating any chance for Cloud9 to lessen their burden going into the second half. A frag from Kevin "keev" Bartholomäus concluded the match at a dominant 12:3 for BIG.
The second pistol saw a spectacular performance from Tyler "Skadoodle" Latham, who once again proved to be the pillar his team needed in coming back into the match. Cloud9 decided on an A site take, losing three members to BIG's defence. Refrags from Tyler "Skadoodle" Latham and Timothy "autimatic" Ta equalised the man count at 2v2, however immediately after Timothy "autimatic" Ta departed from life by the hands of Johannes "nex" Maget. This left the American AWPer in a 1v2 situation, one that he heroically clutched for his team, securing a 4:12 score and more importantly early-game momentum for his team. No luck for BIG on their force buy in round two, as Cloud9 grab a fifth. Another pistol purchase from BIG saw a 2k from Johannes "nex" Maget's CZ75, one that was shut down by Timothy "autimatic" Ta, who had accrued a 4k come the end of the round, producing a 6:12 score for his team.
Round nineteen saw BIG repel an advance from Cloud9, forcing the Americans into a pistol buy in the follower. No substantial openings, coupled with a 3k from Kevin "keev" Bartholomäus meant a 6:14 score, with the opponents just two rounds away from closing out the series. BIG managed another round in their favour, however Cloud9 were able to secure a bomb plant in a last-ditch effort from Tyler "Skadoodle" Latham. Faced with a potential loss the Americans re-focused, able to coming out on top of a 4v3 situation in round twenty-two. A close call for CLoud9 was seen in the following round, as hard carry of BIG, Johannes "tabseN" Wodarz found himself in a 1v2 situation, able to frag Jake "Stewie2k" Yip to convert the situation into a 1v1 against Timothy "autimatic" Ta. The Germans were out of luck once again, as the American representative came out on top of the duel, keeping his team in the game at 8:15.
The next round saw a poor buy from the defence of BIG, where Cloud9 lost two members to five from BIG, instead gaining yet another round victory. BIG accrued sufficient funds to purchase some weaponry at 15:10, looking to close the series. A factor they didn't account for was a 4k from Timothy "autimatic" Ta, utterly shredding the CTs and once again keeping hopes high for his teammates. Round twenty-seven was the final of the map, as BIG's AWPer Kevin "keev" Bartholomäus came up with a colossal performance, shooting down four members of Cloud9 with his weapon of choice, the AWP. Amidst his killing spree, Johannes "tabseN" Wodarz secured a kill of his own, closing out the map at a 16:11 victory for BIG.
Gambit Esports vs. G2 Esports - 1-0
de_Cache - 16:6 (10:5, 6:1)
Gambit Esports kick off on the T side of Cache, where they manage a flawless entry onto the A bomb site, largely thanks to a perfect smoke. Once on site, Abay "HObbitt" Khasenov took control of things, securing four Glock headshots, hence utterly demolishing the Frenchmen. And earlier kill from Daniil "Zeus" Teslenko's P250 meant a first round victory for Gambit. A flawless second round from Gambit, as all members of G2 fell without a single frag onto Gambit. Some more of the same in round three, as a full eco from G2 meant a massive disadvantage and subsequently a consecutive round loss at 0:3. Contrary to the previous three, G2's first buy was rather fruitful, as only Nathan "NBK" Schmitt died over its duration in exchange for the entire roster of Gambit. One more swing and a miss from Gambit in round four meant a limited buy in the follow-up, having to make do with two Tec9s, two AK-47s and a Galil. Two kills apiece came from Kenny "kennyS" Schrub and Nathan "NBK" Schmitt, complemented by Dan "apEX" Madesclaire's frag concluded the round, leading to a 3:3 round equaliser.
A fast round ensued, as Gambit were working with an eco round, swiftly conceding a fourth consecutive to G2 at 3:4. G2 Esports were unable to hold the A bomb site in round eight, as a fired up Gambit exploded onto the site, securing crucial entry frags and trades, dominating its territory. It came down to a 2v2 situation between the teams, later converted into a 2v1 for Gambit as Dauren "AdreN" Kystaubaev secured a frag onto Richard "shox" Papillon. A lurk from Daniil "Zeus" Teslenko found the back of Nathan "NBK" Schmitt, closing the round at 4:4. Two opening frags in the ninth round meant a 5v3 situation for Gambit, one G2 Esports opted to shy away from, instead saving weaponry for the future.
The teams trade two frags each, however the exchange was favoured by Gambit, as they had control of the B bomb site. A 3v3 situation was entertained by G2 Esports, however no positive outcome for the Frenchmen on Daniil "Zeus" Teslenko's watch, as the CIS veteran landed three kills onto his opponents, shutting down any possibility of a victory. G2's economy allowed for one last buy, with quite the bit riding on their ability to show up in this round. An utter brawl broke out, culminating in a 1v1 between Rustem "mou" Telepov and Richard "shox" Papillon, where the prior managed to secure the W for the CIS representatives at 7:4. Nothing to play with for G2 in the following round, allowing a fifth consecutive round for Gambit. Unable to get their minds in the game yet another gun round was conceded by the French defence, whereby an A hit proved succesful for Gambit once more. Despite losing Daniil "Zeus" Teslenko to a wild spray from teammate Mikhail "Dosia" Stolyarov, the team went on to take out Nathan "NBK" Schmitt in a 2v1 to close the round at 9:4. G2 Esports forced up with four Famas' and an M4A1 in the follow-up, opting for a last-ditch attempt to secure some rounds in the half. Gambit managed to place the bomb on the B bomb site, however it was cleared out after the X God himself found a 1v3 situation, able to dispatch one, but falling to the remaining two, in turn allowing a defuse for G2. The fifteenth, and final round of the first half saw a comprehensive A site take from Gambit that was subsequently converted into a round win by Dauren "AdreN" Kystaubaev, who landed a 4k for his team.
The second pistol round was once again secured by Gambit, greatly contributing to their chances of taking a victory over the Frenchmen. The Kazakhs took care of the round, as the trio accounted for all deaths of G2 on the A site, pushing their team's lead to 11:5. A full eco from G2 was met with UMP45s on Gambit, needless to say the "farmguns" saw some action, mowing down the entire French team. Four Galils and an AK-47 on Nathan "NBK" Schmitt were seen in round eighteen, all of which were lost as an outstanding performance from Gambit's star player Dauren "AdreN" Kystaubaev fragged four members of the opposition on the A side of the map, shutting down the possibility of a round victory for G2. Once again a broken buy from the Frenchmen with four upgraded pistols and a UMP45. Despite the massive disadvantage, with a mindful use of utility and communication, G2 managed to overrun the B site, leaving Mikhail "Dosia" Stolyarov alone. The X God fell gracefully, granting G2's first round of the latter half at 6:13.
An action packed round saw a slow B take from G2, that post-action culminated in a 1v1 between Dan "apEX" Madesclaire and Dauren "AdreN" Kystaubaev. The latter kept the recurring theme of his superb performance up, dispatching the Frenchman and defusing the bomb just in time. Match point on the board, G2 forced four upgraded pistols and an AK-47 on Richard "shox" Papillon. An A site stack from G2 saw an explosion onto the bomb site. An efficient defence from Gambit saw four members of G2 Esports fall immediately, leaving Nathan "NBK" Schmitt alone with an AWP. The last man standing secured a frag onto Dauren "AdreN" Kystaubaev, followed by an AK-47 bullet to the brain from Abay "HObbitt" Khasenov, and finally a 6:16 loss on de_Cache.
de_Inferno - 8:16 (2:13, 6:3)
The match of the day saw SK Gaming kick off on the T side, opting for a 5 man B rush. It proved effective, as entry frags were secured by the Brazilians, followed by a bomb site hold that saw effective frags and trading with the Danes. Andreas "Xyp9x" Højsleth was the last standing member and in a last-ditch effort went for a knife attempt, only to be shut down by Joao "felps" Vasconcellos. A force buy from Astralis saw a spectacular culmination for the team, as SK Gaming saw all members fall to the pistols, in addition to Fernando "fer" Alvarenga dying post round conclusion, granted $0 in addition to losing his MAC10. A peculiar buy from SK Gaming in the third, as the team managed to secure a victory, adorned by a 3k from Marcelo "coldzera" David, one of which saw a Bayonet enter Markus "Kjaerbye" Kjærbye's back. Round four witnessed a flawless performance from SK, as a weak buy featuring an UMP45, MAG-7 and three upgraded pistols from Astralis was dismantled by Brazilian aggression, furthering the team's lead to 3:1. A hard eco from Astralis in the following round saw yet another victory for SK Gaming.
Round six finally saw Astralis with appropriate equipment for the task, however an early frag onto Markus "Kjaerbye" Kjærbye meant a 4v5 disadvantage for Astralis, a difficult situation on de_Inferno. A bomb plant was secured on the B bomb site, followed by systematic extermination of the Danes, once more landing a round for SK Gaming at 5:1. Upgraded pistols came out from Astralis in the following round, with the losing side managing three kills onto the leaders, upsetting the Brazilian economy slightly, but unfortunately failing to secure a round at 1:6.
Round eight saw a spectacular A site hit from SK Gaming preceded by an opening kill onto Markus "Kjaerbye" Kjærbye. The man advantage played in hand when approaching the site, as SK dispatched four members whilst losing only two in return. Nicolai "dev1ce" Reedtz attempted to save an AWP, however the possibility was eliminated as Gabriel "FalleN" Toledo snuck behind the Dane and took away his beloved weapon. Once more struggling on the financial side, Astralis upgraded pistols came out in an attempt to maximise the possibility of a round victory. No mistakes from SK Gaming, as per expectations, furthering their consecutive round victories to seven. Finally relief was seen in the eyes of Astralis, as the team had managed to repel an A site hit from the Brazilians, securing their second round of the half. An action packed round ensued, as SK find themselves in a 4v5 situation as a failed attempt at storming Banana was met with molotovs and Lukas "gla1ve" Rossander, who fragged the enemy's Captain, Gabriel "FalleN" Toledo. Three Brazilians snuck close to the B site, waiting to pounce, whilst Fernando "fer" Alvarenga took a walk to the A site to throw off the Danes. A quick rush onto the B site from the triple man stack saw a flawless entry, as well as a subsequent plant. A brawl ensued, leaving just two players remaining in Peter "dupreeh" Rasmussen and Marcelo "coldzera" David, the latter of which came out on top of the duel, leading to a 9:2 score for SK Gaming. Upgraded pistols didn't make a single dent in SK's armour, leading to a 10:2 score for SK.
Another A site hit from SK saw a positive outcome for the Brazilians, this time the Danes brought the heat with a full buy. Once again the economy was reset for Astralis, playing with pistols. It all worked out for Astralis, as a single member from each team was left, leaving Marcelo "coldzera" David and Andreas "Xyp9x" Højsleth to work things out. Marcelo "coldzera" David didn't disappoint, culling the final Dane and securing a 12:2 score for his team. The final round saw more of the same, except all members of SK were alive come the end, landing an absolutely insane 13:2 score.
A strong latter half opener from Astralis as the team secure multiple opening kills at banana and the B bomb site. Four members of Astralis survived and secured a bomb plant, whilst all members of SK fell lost a round. A force buy from SK in the follower, to no avail, as the Danes just smashed the entire roster, closing the second round in their favour. Round three saw a swift B take, followed by some farming with UMP45s, supplementing the Danish economy going into further rounds. On their first buy SK Gaming conceded the A site in swift fashion, as the freight train known as Lukas "gla1ve" Rossander rushed into the fray, falling immediately, only for his teammates to pick the ball up and run away with an A site bomb plant, that was complemented by four frags onto SK. The following round saw another loss involving the A site, however SK's superstar Marcelo "coldzera" David managed to inflict massive economical damage to Astralis, dropping three members prior the bomb explosion in Nicolai "dev1ce" Reedtz, Peter "dupreeh" Rasmussen and Markus "Kjaerbye" Kjærbye. Round twenty one saw a bitter loss for Astralis, as a massive brawl concluded in a 1v1 situation between Peter "dupreeh" Rasmussen and Fernando "fer" Alvarenga, where the Dane ran out of time whilst planting the bomb, scared of a sneak attack from the Brazilian.
Astralis set things straight in round twenty-two, as a 2v3 situation was seen on the B site. The youngest member of the roster Markus "Kjaerbye" Kjærbye took it upon himself to deal with the remaining members of SK Gaming, decimating each of them one by one. SK Gaming's economy was finally broken, as the team found themselves with upgraded pistols. Living up to his legendary status, Marcelo "coldzera" David secured three kills in B apartments, all of which were headshots, leaving only two members of Astralis to fend against the Brazilians. It all came down to a 1v2, where Fernando "fer" Alvarenga sought to a victory for his team, as Nicolai "dev1ce" Reedtz sustained an AWP bullet to the back, followed by Lukas "gla1ve" Rossander having an AK-47 parcel delivered to the dome. The following round saw a force buy from Astralis that unfortunately turned out in negative fashion for the Danes, as the superior buy dismantled all members in a post-plant situation, and a defuse secure the sixteenth round for SK Gaming.
Virtus.pro vs. Fnatic - 1-0
de_Cache - 16:11 (12:3, 4:8)
Fnatic waste no time in the final match of the day, as the team places their utility and rushes onto the bomb site, dispatching a full flashed Filip "Neo" Kubski at NBK, as well as Jaros?aw "pashaBiceps" Jarz?bkowski. A 3v3 situation ensued, one that was taken by Fnatic to kick off to a 1:0 lead. A force buy from Virtus.pro in round two, where four members of Fnatic kicked the bucket in swift fashion to V.ps one, leaving Dennis "dennis" Edmann in a 1v4 situation. The Swede very early clutched out after defeating three members of the defence, however he fell to the true aim of Viktor "TaZ" Wojtas' Deagle. Having snatched the momentum from the Swedish side, the Poles accrued the following round, leading at 2:1. The aforementioned shattered Fnatic's economy, causing a further loss in round four, however not without two members of Virtus.pro losing their rifles via expiration.
Able to finally buy, Fnatic opted for a mid take, only to be met by a crossfire from Filip "Neo" Kubski and Viktor "TaZ" Wojtas, accounting for a total of four deaths, three of which were by the hand of the former. Pawe? "byali" Bieli?ski cleared bank, securing V.p their fourth round. A crushed economy in round six, with Fnatic attempting a zerg rush onto the A site. No cigar, as the A crew of Pawe? "byali" Bieli?ski and Jaros?aw "pashaBiceps" Jarz?bkowski smashed all five members at 5:1. An immaculate performance from Freddy "KRiMZ" Johansson, as the Swede was forced into a 1v3 situation after a sloppy A site advancement from his team. The disadvantageous man count was converted to a 1v1 against Viktor "TaZ" Wojtas, who also fell after a timely peak from the Swede into A main, landing a one tap onto the Pole. Virtus.pro resurge in round eight, as an A advancement was shut down once more, as Jaros?aw "pashaBiceps" Jarz?bkowski secured three kills with the AWP, severing the aggressors greatly. His team took care of the rest, landing a 6:2 lead.
Switching things up, Fnatic tried a mid take once more, unfortunately it ended up falling through, as two men in middle and a sneaky Viktor "TaZ" Wojtas in vents dispatched the entire roster of Fnatic, extending the Polish team's lead to 7:2. Contrary to previous rounds Fnatic were able to secure a bomb plant on the B bomb site. Unfortunately for the Swedes, Virtus.pro brought the fight, leaving a lonely Robin "flusha" Rönnquist saving an AWP whilst the Poles defused the bomb. A round fell into Fnatic's favour as the team breached the B site. Post-plant the Swedes were in a favourable 3v1 situation, with Dennis "dennis" Edmann delivering the killing blow. Jaros?aw "pashaBiceps" Jarz?bkowski demonstrated some impressive AWPing, dispatching his opponents' counterpart in Jesper "JW" Wecksell. This apparently set off a performance in his teammates who followed in his footsteps, slaying the remaining enemies and extending the team's lead to 9:3. The following round saw Virtus.pro proceed to secure yet another round, on this occasion through a 4k from Janusz "Snax" Pogorzelski, who had previously been fairly quiet. Utterly constricting Fnatic, Virtus.pro continue their domination, as Jaros?aw "pashaBiceps" Jarz?bkowski's AWP took the life of three Swedes in round fourteen. Three would be all the Swedes would see in the prior half, as a weak buy was insufficient in shutting down the Poles, who seemingly engaged the plow at 12:3.
Dennis "dennis" Edmann absolutely demolished a three of a four man advancement onto the B site from Virtus.pro, after being the sole defender of the bomb site. Teammates Jesper "JW" Wecksell and Olof "olofmeister" Kajbjer rushed in to help following his death, cleaning up the two remaining members of the T side, closing the second pistol in Fnatic's favour. Nothing was found by a force buy from V.P in the following round, allowing a fifth round for Fnatic at 5:12. Freddy "KRiMZ" Johansson landed a 3k in the following round onto a V.p that decided to purchase a few P250s, once again contributing to his team's success at 6:12. Fnatic upset Virtus.pro's first gun round, with Dennis "dennis" Edmann shutting down three Poles in what was a 2v3 situation on the A site. Unfazed by the loss, Virtus.pro manage to hold out on the B site despite a clumsy death from Viktor "TaZ" Wojtas, who fried in an incendiary grenade from Olof "olofmeister" Kajbjer. His teammates made up for the faux pas, converting the disadvantage into a W at 13:7. A sway in momentum as Fnatic's Dennis "dennis" Edmann and Jesper "JW" Wecksell shut down the Polish roster with a 2k and 3k respectively, closing the round deficit further at 8:13. No money on the Polish side in the following round, decreasing the round gap to just four. Virtus.pro were able to secure a strong foot into the B site, only to be rushed by Olof "olofmeister" Kajbjer from vents, who managed to slay three members of V.p. Concession for the Poles was a bomb plant secured by Janusz "Snax" Pogorzelski prior to his death.
Upgraded pistols from Virtus.pro were utilised to great effect on the B bomb site, with equal trades between the two teams leading to a 2v2 situation. One member of the Polish side was dispatched, leaving Filip "Neo" Kubski on his lonesome. The legend of Counter-Strike managed to kill one of the CTs, however Jesper "JW" Wecksell immediately re-fragged his teammate, saving the potentially catastrophic round for Fnatic. A refreshing change of pace was decided for Virtus.pro, as the Poles brisk onto the A site. A bomb plant was secured early on into the round in a 4v4 situation. Filip "Neo" Kubski and Pawe? "byali" Bieli?ski deal with the four remaining members of Fnatic, just two rounds away from victory at 14:11. The loss had shattered Fnatic's economy, with the Swedes only able to upgrade their pistols in the following round. Only a single fatality on V.p's side was sustained, bringing the Poles to match point at 15:11. Another pistol buy from Fnatic in round twenty-six, with affairs looking dire. Two members of the losing team immediately dropped after demonstrating aggression in middle. A fake from Pawe? "byali" Bieli?ski on the A site sold the idea of a plant, however four members of the team slowly made their way to B. The two remaining Swedes in Jesper "JW" Wecksell and Dennis "dennis" Edmann were unable to clutch a 2v4, despite the prior wielding an AK-47. Both members of Fnatic died on the B site, conceding the match at 11:16.
Following is a comprehensive schedule for day three (times expressed are CEST):
11:00 - Vega Squadron vs. PENTA Sports
12:30 - FlipSid3 Tactics vs. FaZe Clan
14:00 - mousesports vs. North
15:30 - Immortals vs. Natus Vincere
17:00 - G2 Esports vs. Cloud9
18:30 - Astralis vs. Fnatic
20:00 - Virtus.pro vs. Gambit Esports
21:30 - BIG vs. SK Gaming
Image courtesy of SK Gaming's Twitter
