Predictions for the playoffs of PGL Major Copenhagen 2024 (Part 2)
As we delve deeper into the concluding stage of the Major tournament, our focus now shifts towards the remaining participants in the playoffs. Excitement mounts as we eagerly anticipate their performances and strategies in the upcoming matches. Additionally, our attention extends to the insightful predictions for the subsequent stages of Pick’EM, where fans and analysts speculate on the outcomes and potential surprises that lie ahead. The dynamic nature of these events keeps us engaged, fostering a sense of anticipation and curiosity within the community. With each passing match, the spirit of competition intertwines with the human element, showcasing the resilience, skill, and sportsmanship of the players. The Major serves as a testament to the dedication and camaraderie shared among the participants, further highlighting the importance of fair play and respect in the world of esports.
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Eternal Fire vs Natus Vincere
Oh, those Turks from Eternal Fire. The team has really performed well in the previous two stages and has rightfully reached the playoffs of the Major for the first time in their history. In the third quarterfinal match, Eternal Fire will face a very strong opponent, Natus Vincere. However, it’s no longer the same team with s1mple. Currently, he is just a substitute player, which means EF has a good chance of winning the match, but it definitely won’t be an easy walk. Under pressure, top teams usually perform better than usual, while weaker opponents tend to make mistakes even if they are in excellent form. Eternal Fire started the tournament from the very first stage and advanced to the Elimination stage with a record of 3 wins and 1 loss. They defeated The MongolZ, paiN Gaming, and GamerLegion. The team that managed to defeat them was HEROIC. In the second stage, the Turks faced several strong teams, three of which made it to the playoffs. They defeated Team Vitality, FaZe Clan, and Virtus.pro, only stumbling in the match against MOUZ. These results clearly show that EF is currently on the rise, and their shooting has been impressive. The main problem is that Na’Vi is also a strong opponent. The two teams already met less than two months ago at IEM Katowice. In the lower round of Group A, Na’Vi won 2-1. Their victory, despite the loss on Nuke, was very convincing. Since then, a considerable amount of time has passed, and Na’Vi has certainly not become weaker. Na’Vi started the Copenhagen Major in the second stage and faced difficulties in reaching the playoffs. They won their first two matches against The MongolZ and G2 Esports, but then they encountered Team Spirit and Cloud9, and unfortunately, they lost these two crucial matches.
In the fifth match against paiN Gaming, Na’Vi showed an excellent game and won 2-0: 13-10 on Nuke and 13-9 on Mirage. As always, the whole team made a significant contribution, while jL and b1t played substantially better than the others. On the other hand, there has been active criticism online of iM, who, according to many, is performing poorly. We won’t discuss the nonsensical reactions from CIS streamers about the newcomer’s game in Natus Vincere but will rely solely on statistics. It indicates that iM is currently in terrible form and is almost at the bottom in terms of individual performance among all Major participants. There have been rumors that the Ukrainians may consider replacing him and bringing s1mple back to the active roster after his loan with Falcons ended. We believe that Natus Vincere will not take such a step and will give iM the opportunity to finish the tournament, after which some conclusions can be drawn. Moreover, such a move would disrupt the team’s vibe, which has noticeably improved since Kostylev’s departure. In general, we see a clear advantage for the Ukrainians in this matchup. Even without s1mple, they appear stronger, including in terms of teamwork. On the Turkish side, only a few players (XANTARES, MAJ3R, woxic) stand out and lead the rest. However, there is not much consistency there either, and one of these three often underperforms. It’s likely that the Turks will manage to win one map, but it’s hard to believe that they can win two.
OUR PREDICTION: Natus Vincere victory
MOUZ vs G2
G2 secured 5th-6th place at the BLAST Premier: Spring Groups and IEM Katowice tournaments in 2024. They then qualified for the PGL Major Copenhagen with an impeccable performance, defeating Into The Breach, Eternal Fire, and FaZe Clan in the first European qualifier. Currently, the team holds the 5th position in the global rankings and has two players who finished in the top 5 individually in 2023. NiKo ranked 2nd, while m0NESY ranked 4th in the world. Everything suggests that the team has what it takes to achieve high results on the Tier-S scene in 2024. However, the reality is not as bright. Watching G2’s gameplay in the previous stage, you don’t feel the same power that emanated from this team. In fact, G2 didn’t deserve to make it to the playoffs at all. The team played terribly, and it should have ended at the decisive match against Virtus.pro. The Russian team was expected to win that encounter but mentally broke down in the decider and let the samurais take the lead. And believe me, it’s not all because of that Nvidia driver crash that happened to Jame. Well, sometimes things like that happen, and you lose an important round. The team should have easily closed out the opponent, whose captain played almost the entire map with zero kills. But even if we forget about that cursed map, why did the team crumble on the deciding map? VP disappeared and lost in a situation where they were supposed to show their character, class, and strength. They didn’t show it? Then they don’t deserve to advance to the next stage. It’s that simple. In the end, the three teams that G2 managed to defeat were The MongolZ, ECSTATIC, and Virtus.pro. Interestingly, none of them made it to the playoffs. The two teams that defeated G2, Natus Vincere and Cloud9, are in the playoffs. On the other hand, those were BO1 matches, and in a BO3 series, it’s still unknown who would come out as the winner. G2’s map pool is quite diverse, and the lineup can play on six out of seven maps.
Mirage is their weak point, but you can always ban it, right? The team’s favorite maps are likely Nuke and Anubis, but as we’ve seen, Inferno could also be on that list. Many also forget that the team recently officially signed a new coach, the legendary Pole Viktor “TaZ” Wojtas. Perhaps this is how the new training process looks, with the team being slightly shaken. We don’t know, but personally, we see a problem in the lack of stability and the captain’s weak performance. The team truly plays as four against five, and in the match against VP, the younger brother of NiKo was also “missing.” MOUZ, on the other hand, are simply impressive and perhaps one of the main “stabilities” of this Major. An international lineup, consisting of six players from six different countries, easily progressed through all stages and made it to the playoffs. Despite the diversity in the roster, they communicate excellently with each other, and the results are fantastic. MOUZ secured 3rd-4th place at IEM Katowice and advanced to the PGL Major Copenhagen with an impeccable result after defeating Team Spirit. This makes them the only team that has beaten Spirit in the last two months. At the Major, MOUZ faced ECSTATIC (13-11), Eternal Fire (13-11), and Complexity (2-0). The first two matches were very challenging for them. In the third match, they won easily. These first two matches clearly showed their weaknesses. Based on the results, MOUZ will undoubtedly be the favorite in this match. In terms of lineup and experience, it’s G2. Which one will prove to be stronger?
OUR PREDICTION: We will take a risk and bet that G2 will win this particular meeting.
Forecast for Pick’EM for the next matches
Since the winners of the quarterfinals will be Vitality, FaZe Clan, Natus Vincere, and G2, the following matchups in the semifinal matches will be as follows:
- Vitality — FaZe
- Natus Vincere — G2
We see only two options: victories of Vitality and Natus Vincere, or FaZe with G2. Personally, we bet on the second option, where Vitality drops out of this race and does not formally defend their title, and G2 takes revenge on Natus Vincere for their defeat at the Elimination stage.
FaZe Clan should become the champion of the major!
