The group stage matches of group A have concluded, with FaZe Clan topping the charts, subsequently securing their placement in the semi-finals of Intel Extreme Masters XI: Katowice 2017.
The first day of IEM Katowice 2017 has come to a conclusion, with FaZe Clan the team to surpass all their opponents, landing them a spot in the semi-finals of the tournament. Runners up of group A were Astralis in second and Immortals in third respectively, securing placements in the quarter-finals of the tournament. The most disappointing performance proved to be that of OpTic Gaming, who didn't manage to secure a single victory over the course of the day. The two Swedish representatives of group A also bombed out, as they were also unable to keep up with the pace set by other teams.
Below you will find a table with each of the team's records, followed by brief recaps of each of the match-ups:
| Team | Wins | Losses | Tiebreaker |
|---|---|---|---|
 FaZe Clan | 4 | 1 | 2-0 |
 Astralis | 4 | 1 | 1-1 |
 Immortals | 4 | 1 | 0-2 |
 Fnatic | 2 | 3 | X |
| Ninjas in Pyjamas | 4 | 1 | |
 OpTic Gaming | 5 | 0 |
Fnatic vs. Ninjas in Pyjamas - de_Cache 3:12, 13:2 (16:14)
A very close match-up between the two Swedish representatives in group A. The first match of the day saw an incredible sway in scores, with fnatic demonstrating great dominance, followed by a rather shaky performance. The initial half saw Fnatic absolutely dominate the T side of Cache. NiP were simply unable to come up with a response to the aggression, snagging just two rounds over the entire half. Having switched sides it seemed the team switched performances as well, as the Ninjas ran away with a ludicrous amount of rounds, placing their opponent in a severely uncomfortable situation. Fortunately for Fnatic, they were able to just about snatch the match round, taking away the best-of-one at a nail-biting 16:14.
FaZe Clan vs. Immortals - de_Overpass 11:4, 5:2 (16:6)
FaZe's first match of the tournament was against the Brazilian side of Immortals, where the team comfortably dealt with their opponent. This match was the LAN debut of their newly-signed member, Nikola "NiKo" Kova?, who ended up showing a spectacular performance and as per usual topped the fragging charts on the server. The European mix kicked off on the T side of Overpass, where they managed to successfully storm bombsite after bombsite, consistently outperforming the defence. The sheer firepower on the team was too much for the Brazilian defence, concluding the half at 11:4 in favour of FaZe. Following this performance, the Europeans decided to keep it short and sweet, sweeping Immortals off their feet on the defence. Two rounds went in favour of the Brazilians to FaZe's five, cutting the cards at 16:6.
Astralis vs. 
OpTic Gaming - de_Train (8:7, 8:5) 16:12
A strong showing from Astralis as they overpowered OpTic Gaming on de_Train. The Danes kicked off on the CT side, where they went shoulder to shoulder against the North American side. Neither team seemed to be able to amass a significant lead, trading blow for blow throughout the first half. The level performances led to Astralis securing a single round lead at 8:7. Having switched sides the same story was seen, where neither team seemed to dominate the scoreboard. OpTic secured the second pistol round, which perhaps should have given them a decent amount of momentum, however this was not the case as Astralis managed to pull back into the game, closing out the second half at a 16:12 round score.
Astralis vs. Ninjas in Pyjamas - de_Overpass 4:11, 11:4, 13:9 (28:24)
Next was an absolute grind-fest of a match between Ninjas in Pyjamas and recent Major winners, Astralis. The Danes kicked off on the CT side of the map, where they seemed to demonstrate quite a weak performance against the Swedish aggression. On several occasions the Ninjas dismantled the defence, breaching bombsites and grabbing rounds. This led to a strong start for the Swedes at 11:4. On the T side, Astralis decided to focus in on the game and reciprocated their opponents' score from the previous half, leading to a 15:15 stalemate, pushing the map into overtime. The extra time was turned out to be equivalent in duration to just over half a series, as we saw a whopping three overtimes, upon the conclusion of which Astralis managed to pull out ahead in a 13:9 overtime score.
FaZe Clan vs. Fnatic - de_Train 9:6, 7:5 (16:11)
Another strong performance from the European mix, as they take down Fnatic on de_Train. FaZe kick off on the CT side of the map, where they experienced an initial struggle through losing the pistol round. Despite various setbacks the team seemed to get their minds back into the game, slowly pulling rounds in their favour. To conclude the half, FaZe managed to amass nine rounds to six, entering the second half with a brittle safety net. Having switched over the grind was close, but ultimately the European mix managed to pull ahead, landing a 7:5 second half and closing out the series.
Immortals vs. OpTic Gaming - de_Inferno 8:7, 8:1 (16:8)
A comprehensive victory for the Brazilian side, as the North American representatives failed to take the match to double digits. Immortals kick off on the CT side of Inferno, where they go head to head with OpTic. Neither teams has a spectacular performance, with a very close initial half score of 8:7. The second half was dominated by Immortals' T side, with some clunky plays coming out of OpTic, in particular a miscommunication in the 19th round where two members of the team were unable to identify the bomb site where the Brazilians had planted, conceding an important round for nothing. Ultimately Immortals went on to snatch the series with a 16:8 finish.
Fnatic vs. OpTic Gaming - de_Train 10:5, 6:5 (16:10)
Fnatic bagged a victory after a solid performance on both sides of de_Train. The Swedes kicked off on the CT side of the map, grabbing a nice surplus of rounds before switching. On this occasion they showed greater teamwork and communication in contrast to their recent performances prior to the tournament. The initial half saw a successful 10:5 finish in their favour, placing the team at a great advantage going into the T side. On the aggression, Fnatic weren't quite as convincing, however their performance was sufficient to secure six rounds to OpTic's eight, closing out the best-of-one at 16:10.
Astralis vs. Immortals - de_Cache 11:4, 5:8 (16:12)
Immortals secured their first victory of the tournament, taking down none other than Astralis. The initial half saw a strong defence from the Brazilian side, one that was able to produce pushback all across the map. Rarely were the Brazilians in a position of disadvantage, and even when in a predicament individual play saved the team numerous times. Immortals snagged the initial half at a commanding 11:4. During the second half Astralis were able to secure quite a few rounds for themselves, however in the end the Brazilians were able to grind out the final five needed to close out the series, bringing the team their second victory.
FaZe Clan vs. Ninjas in Pyjamas - de_Cache 11:4, 5:2 (16:6)
FaZe clocked in a third consecutive win, sporting the best record so far in group A. The team start on the CT side of Cache, where they demonstrate a solid defence. NiP were unable to perform effectively on the aggression, slumping behind in round score severely. By the end of the first half the Swedes were down 4:11, increasing the chances for FaZe to close it out. So they did, as it took them only five rounds to consolidate their victory. The European mix grabbed their third victory, one step away from advancing to the playoffs of the tournament.
Astralis vs. Fnatic - de_Inferno 7:8, 8:7, 4:2 (19:17)
The second best-of-one to see overtime, the two teams fought until the glorious end, which turned out to be a bit more glorious for the Danish side of Astralis. The Danes commenced on the CT side of Inferno, where they were able to go even with the Swedish aggressors. With level play came a level score, as Fnatic secured a single round lead by the conclusion of the first half. The second half saw a mirror score, where Astralis were able to make up for their initial half deficit. Said situation lead to an overtime, which happened to be three overtimes shorter than the previous in the group, as Astralis managed to make quick work of Fnatic with a 4:2 score line.
Immortals vs. Ninjas in Pyjamas - de_Cobblestone 8:7, 8:7 (16:14)
The Brazilian side secured their third victory in the tournament as they took down NiP on de_Cobblestone with an extremely close score. Immortals kicked off on the CT side of the map, where they managed to grind the Ninjas out in rounds over the course of it. Neither team secured a convincing lead, concluding the half at a close 8:7 in favour of the Brazilians. The second half played out as an exact copy of the first, barring the side swap. The long match came to a halt as Immortals were able to round up two rounds on NiP, cashing out at a dangerously close 16:14.
FaZe Clan vs. OpTic Gaming - de_Train 6:9, 10:3 (16:12)
The European mix struck again as they took down OpTic Gaming on de_Train, landing their fourth win of the day. One more win would place the team straight in the semi-finals of the tournament. Kicking off on the CT side of Train, FaZe weren't looking too hot as they were conceding simple rounds to their opponents. Said performance led to a triple round lead for OpTic going into the second half of the map. Having switched to the T side, FaZe woke up and fired up their engines, smashing their opponents every opportunity that was presented. FaZe Clan's outstanding performance accounted for the initial deficit, grabbing a total of 10 rounds in the latter half, in turn securing a victory at a 16:12 score line.
Astralis vs. FaZe Clan - de_Train 11:4, 5:4 (16:8)
FaZe Clan's domination streak was cut short by the one and only Astralis, as they equalise both the team's scores at a 4:1 win/loss record. The Danes commence on the T side of Train, where they are able to command the game through exquisite individual and team performances. The defence was unable to react to the pushes from the T side, creating a significant round gap in the initial half, namely an 11:4 lead in favour of Astralis. Following this performance both teams went close round-wise, however due to the deficit amassed by FaZe in the first half, they were unable to pull back into the game, leading to a 16:8 loss to Astralis. Both teams enter a tie-breaker with 4-1 match records.
Immortals vs. Fnatic - de_Mirage 3:12, 13:2 (16:14)
Immortals decide to join the tie-breaker party, as they grind out Fnatic in an extensive 30 round match on de_Mirage. The match saw an incredible sway in rounds, as Fnatic dominate the initial half having started on the CT side. An incredible performance was seen from the Swedish defence, as they absolutely closed down any and every offense thrown at them from the Brazilians. All but two rounds went in favour of Fnatic, setting out a strong cushion for the team to rely on. During the second half the tables had turned. Immortals were on fire, giving the Swedes a taste of their own medicine. Fnatic found themselves in the same predicament as their opponents were prior, except they weren't able to secure a much needed round to push the map into overtime. The Brazilians run away with a 16:14 win against Fnatic, joining Astralis and FaZe Clan in a triple tie-breaker.
Tiebreakers
Ultimately, FaZe Clan had their way, securing a 2-0 tiebreaker score, subsequently securing a placement in the semi-finals of the tournament. Their initial match-up against Immortals had a few difficulties, as the Brazilians proved to be formidable foes. The initial overtime went to a 3:3 score, pushing the tiebreaker into a second overtime. Immortals were one step away from closing out the tiebreaker, as Fabien "kioShiMa" Fiey clutched out a 1v2 situation to keep his team's dream alive. Then, FaZe Clan took it to a third overtime where they were able to secure a triple round lead a 10:7, closing out the first tiebreaker.
Their following match-up against Astralis was a fast one, whereby the European mix straight up 4-2'd the Danes on de_Train, cementing a placement in the semi-finals of Intel Extreme Masters XI: Katowice 2017.
The final tiebreaker between Immortals and Astralis saw a total of 24 rounds, the majority of which went in favour of the major title holders. The first six rounds were very nearly taken away by Astralis, as the team was able to push the score to a 2:1 surplus, requiring just a single round more to close out the tiebreaker. This was not destined to happen, as Immortals focused up and equalised at 3:3. The same situation was seen in the second overtime, where a 6:6 score was on the board, with neither team willing to budge. Finally, Astralis seemed to tap into their second wind, carrying themselves to a 13:11 finish against the Brazilian team, securing 2nd place in group A.
Image courtesy of FaZe Clan Twitter
