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We continue to watch the action at IEM Cologne 2024. We're talking about Group B, and more specifically the first round of this basket.
There, apart from everything else, we are expecting a match between FURIA and Vitality, which will take place on the 11th of August. The winner goes to the winner of FaZe/Liquid pair.
We're trying to figure out which of the FURIA - Vitality pair will be stronger and advance to the next round, while the loser will fall to the lower grid.
Let's go.
Vitality's form
Let's open the breakdown of the Vitality vs FURIA match with an analysis of Vitality's form. In this match, the French team plays the number one with odds to win at around 1.3.
The first half of the 2023 season has been a real treat for Vitality. It started with a win at the Blast Premier Spring Groups and a top-6 finish at the top IEM Katowice 2023 and ESL Pro League Season 4. Next was Top 3 at European RMR B and triumph at the most domestic Major e - BLAST.tv Paris Major 2023. After winning the Paris Major e Vitality took the top 2 at the spring finals of BLAST, Ledge and Heroic in the grand finals.
The last tournament before IEM Katowice was BLAST Premier: Fall Groups 2023. There Vitality showed a worse result than expected, with the top 6 in the end.
- Vitality lineup: apEX, ZywOo, mezii, Spinx, flameZ.
In their debut match at IEM Cologne 2023, Vitality only confirmed their status as one of the main favourites of Group B. OG tried, but were defeated 16-6 by Mirage and 16-13 by Anubis.
After defeating OG, Vitality took on MOUZ, who were dealt an even bigger blow by the Bees, 16-4 and 16-5.
In the match for seeding in the play-offs Vitality met another top club - G2 Esports. A nerve-wracking game where Vitality pulled out a 19-17 win on Inferno in the extra time, but then lost 10-16 to Vertigo and 8-16 to Mirage.
Starting the play-offs from the first round stumbled Cloud9. "Cloud9 tried to fight back and almost succeeded on the second map, but ZywOo and company were undeterred: 16-11 Mirage and 19-17 Inferno. However, this was the end of Vitality's stay at the tournament: they met ENCE in the semi-finals and lost with 1-2 score and dropped out of the championship.
The top 4 at IEM Cologne did not embarrass Vitality at all, on the contrary - it fuelled them. Before the end of the year they pocketed 3 more wins at title tournaments: they took revenge on ENCE in the Gamers8 Grand Final and beat FaZe twice at BLAST tournaments (Fall Final 2023 and World Final 2023).
Before playing at PGL CS2 Copenhagen Major 2024: European RMR B played BLAST Premier: Spring Groups, where they passed the group stage without any problems and at IEM Katowice 2024, where they failed very unexpectedly, finishing top-12.
At the PGL CS2 Copenhagen Major 2024: European RMR B Vitality stomped GamerLegion and Heroic without any problems, giving up a total of 5 rounds in two maps. And then it was worse - a loss by C9, but a win over ENCE allowed Vitality to reach the Major.
Vitality attended the first Major tournament of the season - PGL CS2 Copenhagen Major 2024, where they managed to reach Top 4, but Ledge and FaZe Clan. Later they played at ESL Pro League Season 19, where they again started very cheerfully and easily made it to the grand finals, but there they were swept by MOUZ.
At the IEM Dallas 2024 Long Season, they started with a very difficult win over Monte, and then closed G2 Esports dry. But in the match for seeding in the play-offs quite unexpectedly Ledge and 9z Team with a score 0-2. The play-offs IEM Dallas 2024 started much more confidently, closing Heroic with 2-0. Then a confident win over Spirit, but a loss to G2 Esports in the grand finals.
Before appearing at Esports World Cup 2024, Vitality attended Blast Premier: Spring Final, where they reached the Top 4. At EWC 2024, Vitaltiy Long Sogpeg started off with a solid win over M80, which allowed them to go straight into the play-offs. However, Vitality were then very unexpectedly eliminated in the first round of play-offs, Ledgeiv Vp.
Vitality made it to IEM Cologne 2024 via the partner system
Vitality's mappool
Vitality's best map is Nuke. There are 4 matches and 4 wins.
Anubis (7 matches, 85% wins), Mirage (4 matches, 75% wins) are doing very well. In general, Vitality doesn't have any bad cards that they play. Vertigo - 71% wins in 7 matches, Inferno and Overpass - 3 wins in 5 matches.
Ancient is not played.
FURIA Form.
We continue the analysis of FURIA vs Vitality match with the analysis of FURIA form. In this match they play as an outsider with odds to win at around 3.3.
Furia have attended over 10 tournaments over the year, but the successes have been mediocre. Their most high-profile win was a Top 1 at BLAST.tv Paris Major 2023: American RMR, which gave them a mark at BLAST.tv Paris Major 2023.
Furia finished their only Major of the season on a Minor note. They failed to rise above the top 16 and were not given by G2 Esports. The misfortunes of the Brazilians did not end there.
Before the ESL Pro League Long Season, the team failed the following events: IEM Masters Dallas 2023 (TOP-12), Thunderpick World Championship 2023 (TOP-16), and Gamers8 2023 (TOP-16).
- FURIA line-up: yuurih, skullz, KSCERATO, FalleN, chelo.
Just before the ESL Pro League Season 18 Long Round, FURIA played at Pinnacle Cup V, where they managed to reach the Top 2. This was the most breakthrough result since the American RMR.
At ESL Pro League Season 18 FURIA played in Basket A. They got to the bottom net after the first round, and from there they went to the last chance net after the second round. There they cameback, defeating Grayhound and GamerLegion, thus getting their slot in the play-offs.
However, they didn't manage to play in the play-offs. In the first round FURIA ran into MOUZ, who became the champions of the prestigious event. As you have already guessed, FURIA lost and with a score of 0-2.
Next, the Brazilians played at a few more events. It was BLAST Premier: Fall American Showdown, with a top-4 for FURIA after losing to Complexity, and also BGS Esports 2023, with a win there.
FURIA entered the Roobet Cup 2023 play-offs pretty confident. They won Group A, ending their two matches with a win.
In the opening match of the Roobet Cup 2023 play-offs FURIA played against Apeks. The Europeans put up a fight, twice taking 11 rounds per card, but it wasn't enough: Furia won 2-0.
Next, FURIA faced Vp in the semi-finals, where they finished their journey to Roobet Cup 2023. After a top-4 finish there, they repeated the result at PARI, Please.
In their opening match at Elisa Masters Espoo 2023, FURIA started with a win over Complexity. Next was a play-offs match against Apeks, where the Brazilians failed to build on their success and lost 0-2.
In the final match of the group stage FURIA played against MOUZ. Being the underdog, the Brazilians managed to oust one of the main contenders to win the Elisa Masters Espoo and qualify for the play-offs. In the end, FURIA performed very well and took the tournament championship by beating Apeks (3-1) in the grand final.
Next were BB Dacha, where FURIA finished top-6, top-24 at IEM Katowice 2024, top-6 at RES Western European Masters: Spring 2024 and then qualifiers for top tournaments. And if at the qualifiers for IEM Dallas Furia was unlucky, they lost in the final 9z, but at PGL Major Copenhagen 2024: American RMR the team managed to win and qualify for the PGL CS2 Copenhagen Major from the American region.
At the tournament itself, FURIA are looking pretty bad so far. FalleN and company lost to their former teammate coldzera in Legacy, as well as Lynn Vision, and managed to win only against KOI, who have already left the championship.
In the next match at PGL CS 2 Copenhagen Major 2024 FURIA beat ENCE. And they beat ENCE 2-0, without much of a chance. In the match for the Elimination Stage they beat sAw, but then they failed to control: at the end of the Elimination Stage Furia won 2-3 and left the World Championship.
Before the ESL Pro League Season 19, FURIA played at IEM China 2024, where they finished top-12. In the first round of ESL Pro League Season 19 FURIA opened with a match against Liquid and Ledge played the Americans with the score 1-2. Then - even more The International heresnier: match against forZe, where FURIA being the favourite went 0-2, and also lost their peak with the score 0-13. In the next match they met BNK and at least there they won on class. However, they failed to reach the top 20.
Before playing at EWC 2024, they played at several Minor CCT tournaments, where they didn't achieve much. At the Esports World Cup 2024 they performed very well, reaching the play-offs and taking the card from MOUZ.
IEM Cologne 2024 FURIA started at the Play-In stage, where they first beat Imperial, but then Ledge and Liquid in the match to advance to the group stage. However, they managed to get out at the second attempt after defeating Heroic.
FURIA Mapple
The best map of FURIA remains Vertigo, the Brazilians played there 5 times and won in 3 maps. Next comes Mirage, already with 7 games and 4-3 stats.
Neutral choice for Furia will be Nuke and Ancient. There the Brazilians have 6 maps and the score is 3-3 on each.
The worst is Overpass (2-3) and Inferno (1-2).
History of head-to-head meetings between Vitality and FURIA
The last time the teams played each other was back in 2022.
Predicted result of FURIA vs Vitality at IEM Cologne 2024
In this match I expect a brisk Counter-Strike 2. In my opinion, FURIA will be able to show themselves and take at least a card, which is my bet.
Bottom line: +1.5 on FURIA.
