Day three of ESL One: Cologne 2016 has concluded, deciding all eight quarter-finalists of the tournament.
| Group A | Group B | Group C | Group D | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top Seed |  Gambit Gaming |  Natus Vincere |  Virtus.Pro |  SK Gaming |
| Second Chance |  Astralis |  FlipSid3 Tactics |  Team Liquid |  Fnatic |
Astralis vs. Team Dignitas – 10:5, 5:10, 1:4 (16:19); 13:2, 3:8 (16:11); 9:6, 7:8 (16:14)
Winner: Astralis
Maps: de_Cobblestone, de_Mirage, de_Cache
MVP: Andreas "Xyp9x" Højsleth
The first series of the day saw a drawn out best of three series between two Danish contenders. Cobblestone was perhaps the most involved map, where both teams demonstrated level play, with Astralis being out-played at the end of overtime; 19:16 in favour of Team Dignitas. Next up was Mirage, where Astralis managed to compose themselves and pushed Dignitas to their limits. This meant a 16:11 finish in favour of Astralis. Finally, we saw a very close culmination to the series, where both teams seemingly had every chance to secure the series; however Astralis dashed slightly ahead, landing them the series 2:1 and a spot in the quarter-finals of ESL One: Cologne 2016.
FlipSid3 Tactics vs. Ninjas in Pyjamas – 5:10, 9:6 (14:16); 14:1, 2:1 (16:2); 8:7, 8:4 (16:11)
Winner: FlipSid3 Tactics
Maps: de_Overpass, de_Cache, de_Mirage
MVP: 
Jan "wayLander" Rahkonen
The second match-up was, much like the first, a long one. All three matches were very exciting, concluding with a rather astonishing outcome. The first map of the BO3 was Overpass, where we saw a close score between the two teams. NiP managed to slightly overpower the Ukrainian roster, securing a 16:14 finish at the end of the second half. Up next was Cache, where FlipSid3 absolutely squished NiP. The Swedes didn't click, resulting in a dissappointing 2:16 loss. Last up was Mirage, where everything kicked off very mellow on the first half, with the second half rushing from 0 to 100 in quick succession. The Ukrainian roster upset the Swedish powerhouse, taking away the series at 16:11.
Team Liquid vs. 
Mousesports – 9:6, 7:5 (16:11); 11:4, 5:2 (16:6)
Winner: Team Liquid
Maps: de_Cobblestone, de_Mirage
MVP: Nick "nitr0" Cannella
Team Liquid demonstrated their capabilities against none other than the most respected Germany team, Mousesports. Cobblestone saw a close game between the two opponents, where the American roster managed to pull ahead in the end. The first half looked promising for Team Liquid as they managed to amass 9:6 on their CT side. After a solid performance they simply closed out the series on the more favoured, T side of the map, 16:11. Mirage was rather lop-sided, as Liquid seemingly dominated both halves. Initially the North American representatives secured an 11:4 lead on the CT side, followed up by a 5:2 finisher, landing the team a guaranteed spot at the quarter-finals of the event.
Fnatic vs. 
FaZe Clan – 7:8, 9:1 (16:10); 11:4, 5:3 (16:7)
Winner: Fnatic
Maps: de_Cache, de_Mirage
MVP: Robin "flusha" Rönnquist
The final best-of-three of the day saw once world #1 Fnatic show a commanding performance over the European mix of FaZe Clan. The first faceoff took place on de_Cache, where both teams went head to head over the course of the first half, closing it out at a close 8:7 in favour of FaZe. Stepping over to the CT side, Fnatic stepped up their game, crushing the opposition nine rounds to zilch. Next was de_Mirage, where Fnatic accelerated their game, performing an 11:4 initial half, followed by a 5:3 closer, rooting themselves in the quarter-finals of ESL One: Cologne 2016.
