Immortals outperform BIG in a best-of-three series with a 2-1 map score, securing the third semi-final slot of the PGL Major Kraków.
de_Cobblestone - 19:17 (3:12, 12:3, 4:2)
The final series of the day commenced, opened up by Johannes "tabseN" Wodarz's Glock frag onto Ricardo "boltz" Prass. A failed A site hit was shut down by Lucas "LUCAS1" Teles and Lucas "steel" Lopes, securing two kills each, and as a consequence securing their team the first round of the half. BIG force buy pistols, splitting three to two, with the majority of the team towards drop and the rest at A long. The team split rushed the A site, dispatching members of Immortals in swift fashion, inheriting their SMGs. With the upgraded weaponry, BIG culled the remaining two members of the opposition on A, swaying the momentum in their favour at 1:1. Three pistols, a SSG08 and an UMP45 for Immortals, as the attempts to regain momentum. A b fake from BIG caught the CTs off guard, as a fast rush clean sweeps all defenders on A, followed by all members of Immortals falling both physically and financially. A full eco yielded zilch for the Brazilians, sustaining their third consecutive round loss at 1:3. Limited funds for the Brazilians on their full buy, as four M4A4s for Immortals, however no defuse kits and very limited utility. The Brazilians made do, shutting down a B rush from BIG, losing but a single member in Henrique "HEN1" Teles. Immortals reset BIG's economy as an A site advancement was whittled down, with the CTs losing but a single member once more, gaining a crucial financial cushion, as well as a round equaliser at 3:3. Two Tec9s and three AK-47s in what was quite the peculiar buy for BIG saw a three for five frag exchange, whereby the Ts managed a bomb plant, only for it to be defused by the remaining CTs.
A half buy from BIG saw the team rush into the A site, once more shut down by the solid defence in place, with Immortals ahead in rounds at 5:3. Finally the Germans managed a full buy, able to breach the B defence via pushes through plateau and dropbox. A brawl ensued on the bomb site, with CT rotators from A throwing themselves into the fray, culminating in a 1v1 between Nikola "LEGIJA" Nini? and Vito "kNg" Giuseppe, where the Brazilian came out on top after utilising his teammate's fallen AWP. Faced with their final buy before going bust, BIG once more venture onto B to great success, as a 5v2 situation was achieved. The Germans dropped the ball, as the brotherly duo of Henrique "HEN1" Teles and Lucas "LUCAS1" Teles utterly destroyed the aggressors, with three and two kills a head respectively. Upgraded pistols saw BIG pick up rifles from fallen opponents after successful kills were landed, only to once more concede the round in a 3v3 situation after a spectacular 2k via M4A4 spray from Vito "kNg" Giuseppe, followed by a cull from Lucas "steel" Lopes closed the round at 8:3 in favour of Immortals. Conceding their sixth round in a row, BIG were spiralling out of control, falling to yet another stoic defence from Immortals, where Vito "kNg" Giuseppe and Lucas "steel" Lopes lay waste to the aggressors once more. In what was now a recurring theme Immortals' Secondary AWPer, Vito "kNg" Giuseppe stepped up for his team with the AWP, dispatching three members of the opposition in a 2v3 to further their lead to 10:3. No closure for BIG in the following round, as an A advance was demolished. The final round of the first half unfortunately saw another loss for BIG, as the team faced a 3:12 deficit going into the latter half of the map.
BIG regain composure in the first round of the second half, as the team was able to dispatch three members of the Brazilian aggression. The Germans sustained three losses of their own, leaving Johannes "nex" Maget and Kevin "keev" Bartholomäus in a 2v2 against Henrique "HEN1" Teles and Lucas "steel" Lopes. The Germans secure a frag each, in addition to crucial early momentum in the second half. Immortals force bought in the follower, able to frag Johannes "tabseN" Wodarz, however this was all she wrote, as a 4k from Fatih "gob b" Dayik with the UMP45 secured finances and a third consecutive round at 6:12. A slow B take from Immortals in their first full buy saw an early two for three trade, greatly favouring the Brazilians. Nikola "LEGIJA" Nini? landed two frags, followed by a frag from Kevin "keev" Bartholomäus that was more infernal in fashion, as he burned Henrique "HEN1" Teles to a crisp. Pistols for Immortals saw a fast round, closing the gap to 8:12 for BIG. Back on a buy, Immortals seemed lost for options, once more conceding a round, as Henrique "HEN1" Teles opted to save his AWP in a 1v4 situation.
Grenades and Molotovs from BIG soften up Immortals prior to any engagements in round twenty-two, once more lessening their ability to breach a defence. Initially interested in the B site, Immortals had to reconsider, as two members were affected by aforementioned utility. The A hit proved successful for Immortals, as whiffs from the defence saw the end of BIG. A spectacular dropbox hold was seen from Fatih "gob b" Dayik, as BIG's in-game leader struck down three Brazilians mid-air leaving the opposition in tatters, parallel to securing his team double digits at 10:13. No Kevlar coupled with a few upgraded pistols in the following round meant another round conceded for Immortals. The Brazilians opt for a basic B advance, one that proved to be quite effective, as the defence were unable to cope with four Ts simultaneously. This round victory meant Immortals were just two round from map victory at 14:11. The Germans were not to be fooled twice, as Immortals opt for another fast B take, except this time BIG came prepared, shutting down their entire roster, whilst sustaining just a single loss. Four upgraded pistols were swiftly dispatched, as BIG close the score to a nail-biting 13:14. Equipment was force bought by Immortals, however well-timed grenades and a Molotov on B long saw four members of the Brazilian aggression whittled down to less than 50 HP. The B site defence met the Ts with superior equipment, losing but a single member at 14:14. Upgraded pistols in the following round yield nada for Immortals, as BIG secure map point at 15:14. A pick whilst approaching the A site via A long saw the Brazilians pick up an AK-47. This very rifle proved to be the team's very undoing, as Fatih "gob b" Dayik was caught switching between a Molotov and a rifle, opening up the A site for Immortals. Rotating members were also dispatched, leading to overtime for the map at 15:15
Immortals waste no time, sprinting onto the B site. Two members of the aggression fell, not without fragging four of the defence, as a consequence securing the Brazilians the first round of overtime. A brawl of a round on the A site, leading to a 1v1 situation between Nikola "LEGIJA" Nini? and Lucas "LUCAS1" Teles, where the prior was sporting a smoke and incendiary grenade. The Brazilian managed to plant on the B site, moving towards dropbox in attempt to secure the position on the CT. The Serbian smoked the bomb whilst immolating LUCAS1's entry point to the site, calmly defusing the bomb. Immortals retaliate in the following round, simply out-fragging the opposition at 17:16.
The teams swapped sides as round four was nigh. Utter destruction from BIG on the A site, as entry kill after entry kill went in the team's favour, ultimately leading to a 3v1 for the Germans. The final remaining member of Immortals, Henrique "HEN1" Teles opted to save his AWP, witnessing the rounds equalise at 17:17. A fiery trap for BIG in dropbox, as two Molotovs from Immortals fry Fatih "gob b" Dayik and Johannes "tabseN" Wodarz sub-50 HP. This turned out to be most of the damage that the team would sustain barring the loss of Johannes "nex" Maget, as the Germans dispatched all members of Immortals, leading to map point at 18:17. Ricardo "boltz" Prass opened the round for his team after two frags were amassed with the Five-seven, only for three frags to be accrued by BIG in the follower, leading to a 1v2 situation for Lucas "LUCAS1" Teles to clutch. Able to frag Fatih "gob b" Dayik, the Brazilian was left against BIG's AWPer, Kevin "keev" Bartholomäus. With the bomb ticking away, LUCAS1 went for a defuse, deciding that the German rotated to plateau he covered the area whilst defusing. To his dismay keev was actually right behind his back with a shank, plundering said shank deep into the back of the Brazilian, consequently closing the map with a knife kill at 19:17.
de_Inferno - 7:16 (2:13, 5:3)
BIG kick off on the aggressive side of Inferno, only to see aggression from the defence in banana, losing a member. With their plans upset, BIG slowly lost members in various areas of the map, concluding in a round loss at 0:1. The Germans force in the follower, deciding on a fast B take. It works out for the Ts, as both defenders of the site are dispatched, causing the remaining three to rotate from A. A bomb plant was secured in the interim, in time for the CTs return. A 1v1 ensued, as Vito "kNg" Giuseppe and Nikola "LEGIJA" Nini? sought to duke it out. The Brazilian stuck the defuse baldly, and subsequently dismantled the bomb, as the Serbian missed his shots through the shroud of the smoke. A knife attempt was seen from LEGIJA post-round, only to be put down by kNg. SMGs on BIG vs. rifles on Immortals saw a bomb plant on the B site with a two for five trade in favour of Immortals at 3:0. A delay followed, as Henrique "HEN1" Teles had hit his mouse, rendering the right-click button broken causing delays in the match. Eventually a replacement was found, continuing the match. A B hit from BIG was opened by a frag from Fatih "gob b" Dayik, immediately shut down by Vito "kNg" Giuseppe, who baldly advanced through a smoke, catching three members fo BIG off guard. A 1v3 was not clutched by Nikola "LEGIJA" Nini?, leading to a 0:4 score for BIG. The Germans bought upgraded pistols, dropping every single one in the following round at 0:5. Rifles for BIG in round six, however early aggression from Ricardo "boltz" Prass in A apartments meant a 5v4 advantage for Immortals. The remaining four members were dispatched by the Brazilians brothers Henrique "HEN1" Teles and Lucas "LUCAS1" Teles, fragging two each. BIG force buy, unfortunately conceding their seventh round in a row. With the maximum round loss monetary bonus in play the Germans were able to stock up on rifles. Aggression towards middle from the CTs saw three members expire to BIG, allowing a A site take. A 3v1 situation for BIG saw the bomb explode on A, landing the team their first round at 1:7.
A reset at 1:8, as a failed B take from BIG forced the team into yet another pistol round, lacking Kevlar on four of five members. No frags for BIG with the pistols, as the team face a worsening situation on the T side at 1:9. Three UMP45s and two AK-47s for BIG, hoping to finally break through the barrier of the single digit. The Germans advance onto the B site, very nearly closing out the round, however a 2k from Lucas "steel" Lopes followed by a frag from Vito "kNg" Giuseppe left Johannes "nex" Maget alone on the site. Two kills were landed by the German, only to be dispatched by Ricardo "boltz" Prass. Not a single frag in the following round, as BIG were working with pistols, extending the Brazilians' lead to 11:1. A five man middle push from BIG was met by aggression from Henrique "HEN1" Teles and Vito "kNg" Giuseppe, hailing from banana. The Germans sustained four AWP bullets to the back, closing the thirteenth round in favour of Immortals. Forcing once more, BIG sport three Tec9s and two UMP45s. A fast A hit worked out for the team, landing five frags to two, as well as their second round at 12:2. Johannes "tabseN" Wodarz secured his first kill of the map in the final round of the initial half, however he was unable to produce much more, as the team fell in its entirety, conceding the half at 2:13.
Johannes "tabseN" Wodarz tripled his kill count in the second pistol round, as a 2k on banana opened up the round for his team. Two kills from Nikola "LEGIJA" Nini? left the Germans in a favourable 2v1 situation, unfortunately both members fell to Vito "kNg" Giuseppe in appaling fashion, as Nikola "LEGIJA" Nini? was unable to dispatch the final standing Brazilian from behind. Map point for Immortals in the following round, as a force buy from BIG fell through in swift fashion, largely thanks to an anti-eco 3k from Ricardo "boltz" Prass. Immortals were unable to close out the round, as the Germans stepped up despite the weapon disadvantage, culling all five members of Immortals, whilst sustaining only two losses of their own. A force buy yielded not a cigar for Immotals in round nineteen, meaning a few upgraded pistols in the follower. A five man banana rush from Immortals was shut down by Johannes "tabseN" Wodarz and Nikola "LEGIJA" Nini? sporting two and three frags respectively. Another banana push was repelled, as a boost over a smoke from BIG caught members of Immortals out of position. The previous loss saw a reset economy on Immortals, allowing but upgraded pistols. In an unlikely turn of events a brawl on the A bomb site led to a 1v1 situation between Johannes "tabseN" Wodarz and Vito "kNg" Giuseppe, where the German held his team afloat after a single USP bullet dealt with the low-HP Brazilian posted in pit. Immortals purchase rifles in the following round, opting to venture to the A site. A post-plant 2v2 situation was secured by the duo of Lucas "steel" Lopes and Vito "kNg" Giuseppe over that of Kevin "keev" Bartholomäus and Nikola "LEGIJA" Nini?. This marked the arrival of Immortals at the sixteen round threshold, equalising the map score at 1-1 at 16:7.
de_Train - 14:16 (7:8, 7:8)
Another T side start for BIG saw the Germans run onto the B site. Poor clearing on the Ts part saw Henrique "HEN1" Teles accrue three kills from spools, greatly crippling the aggression. Two more frags for Immortals closed out the first pistol, securing the Brazilians a foot in the map over BIG. Five quick anti-eco frags for Immortals in the following round meant additional cash, as well as an additional round. The Germans come out of round three with a knife kill on Johannes "tabseN" Wodarz, and not much else, as remaining four members made quick work of the remaining Ts at 3:0. Four AK-47s and an UMP45 on BIG's first buy round, securing an early position around popdog and ladder. A failed smoke from Fatih "gob b" Dayik disrupted his teams plans, however luckily the team was able to convert the mistake into their first round victory at 1:3, after dispatching four members of Immortals. BIG reset the Brazilian economy in the following round, as an A take saw the Germans successfully breach the defence, losing but two members in the process. A 3v1 ensued in the post-plant, one that witnessed Henrique "HEN1" Teles whiff an elementary shot at the A site, as a consequence falling to Nikola "LEGIJA" Nini?. No go for Immortals in the follower either, as BIG equalise at 3:3. Able to finally secure a full buy, Immortals come up with results, fending off an A advance from BIG. Two frags from Vito "kNg" Giuseppe and Ricardo "boltz" Prass closed the aggressors out, not before the Germans were able to supplement their finances through a bomb plant, however. Having accrued quite the bank, BIG were unfazed by the loss with enough money for another buy. A spectacular burst onto the A site saw a swift plant in a 3v3 situation. A backstab from Nikola "LEGIJA" Nini? saw two members of Immortals fall, leaving Lucas "steel" Lopes in a 1v3, in the process of defusing the bomb. Covered by a smoke grenade the Brazilian was not found by the Germans amidst the mist, successfully defusing the bomb at 5:3.
Another A take from BIG saw very efficient entry fragging from the Germans, leading to a 4v2 post-plant, where the Brazilians opted to save their equipment. Aware of the attempt to save equipment, BIG were on the hunt. Fatih "gob b" Dayik fell to Ricardo "boltz" Prass, however information was found regarding the whereabouts of the CTs. Both remaining Brazilians fell, unable to salvage equipment for the next round. All pistols no gain on Immortals, as BIG close the round gap entirely at 5:5. Another round with full pistols ensued for Immortals, allowing BIG a lead at 6:5. Slow play from BIG saw the Germans pick up a kill in the back of B, as Ricardo "boltz" Prass aggressed up B ramp in search of information. All the Brazilian found was a 7.62×39mm bullet to the brain, courtesy of Johannes "tabseN" Wodarz. In spite of the man disadvantage Immortals were able to out-frag the Germans on B, leading to a 1v2 for Kevin "keev" Bartholomäus, whereby the AWPer managed a no-scope onto one Brazilian, only to be dispatched by the other. A defuse came out, scoring Immortals an equaliser at 6:6. Immortals take the lead in round thirteen, as two kills per Brazilian twin in addition to a frag from Vito "kNg" Giuseppe led to 7:6. BIG rush the A site in the following round, trading two for two with Immortals. The 3v3 was converted into a 2v1 in the T's favour, as the bomb ticked away and exploded. Struggling for cash, the Brazilians buy what they can afford, utilising the equipment to the best of their ability. A rare ivy push from BIG caught the A site defence off guard, despite the attempt at a non-orthodox play, Henrique "HEN1" Teles met the Germans with his AWP, dispatching three in rather brisk fashion. His teammates clean up, with Immortals concluding half one at an 8:7 lead.
BIG very nearly fend off the aggressors on the A site, as a spectacular pistol round from Johannes "tabseN" Wodarz saw three kills landed in a 1v4 situation. Ricardo "boltz" Prass proved to be the thorn in the side of the German, slaying him in a crossfire. A force buy brought BIG the momentum, after a failed B take from Immortals was shut down, able only to frag two members of BIG in the process. Immortals force up in round eighteen, with five upgraded pistols in play. Continuing in spirit of this series, two knife kills were landed in the conclusion of the round, as Ricardo "boltz" Prass stabbed Kevin "keev" Bartholomäus, only for vendetta to be dealt by Johannes "tabseN" Wodarz, driving his M9 Bayonet into the Brazilian's spine. Unsuccessful pistols once more for the Brazilians, conceding the lead to BIG at 9:10. Immortals buy up in round twenty and hopes were high, however Johannes "tabseN" Wodarz stomped said hopes into the ground, as three kills on the B site from the German securing his team a two round lead at 11:9. Economy reset once more, Immortals were sporting pistols. Lucas "LUCAS1" Teles landed a great Deagle headshot, shortly after which his entire team was mowed down at 9:12. On their full buy Immortals retaliated, after conceding five consecutive rounds. The Brazilians managed to breach A, fragging all members of BIG. Unfortunately for the Brazilians the following round was once more secured by BIG, resetting their economy again. An AK-47 and four upgraded pistols for Immortals in a last-ditch effort to accrue some sort of financial foot. The Brazilians thrived under pressure, as Lucas "steel" Lopes opened the round for his team with a frag onto Fatih "gob b" Dayik. Picking up the rifle of the German in-game leader, the disadvantage was no longer as pronounced for Immortals, allowing some wiggle room. Wiggle they did, as a 2v2 saw Vito "kNg" Giuseppe and Lucas "steel" Lopes close out at 11:13. Rifles on both teams in the following round led to a brawl, leaving Johannes "tabseN" Wodarz in a 1v3, whereby the German scored two frags. Henrique "HEN1" Teles had much resting on his shoulders, in light of this the Brazilian delivered the killing blow onto tabseN, spicing things up at 12:13.
Having lost two consecutive rounds, BIG were working with upgraded pistols. No luck with the secondary weapons for the Germans, as they saw the score equalise at 13:13 post-demise. Both teams working with full buys, Immortals split with three members on B and two on A. Johannes "nex" Maget and Johannes "tabseN" Wodarz brought the heat, landing a 3k and two 2k each, bringing their team to a 14:13 lead. In extremely close fashion the teams once again tie, this time at 14:14, as a 1v1 saw Henrique "HEN1" Teles get the best of Johannes "tabseN" Wodarz, pushing the Germans to the brink of a reset in the following round. Opting to force buy, BIG met a sad fate, at they were unable to produce a round victory against the Brazilian offense, instead fragging only two members. Immortals were at map point sporting a 15:14 score line. An A site push from Immortals saw the end of BIG, as the inferior buy was demolished in comprehensive fashion by the Brazilians, closing the extremely close series at 16:14, in addition to the coveted semi-final placement.
Below is the schedule for the last quarter-final and two semi-finals taking place this evening (all times expressed as CEST):
11:00 - Doors open
12:00 - Broadcast start
12:30 - Preshow
13:00 - 
North vs. 
Virtus.pro
16:30 - 
Gambit Esports vs. Astralis
20:00 - 
Immortals vs. Winner of North vs. Virtus.pro
Image courtesy of PGL Facebook
