Match round-up: IEM Katowice/Projection of Winners

The Intel Extreme Masters. One of the most prestigious CS:GO tournaments out there, the battle for supremacy has been raging all this week. The playoffs have finally concluded, and the field has been narrowed down to six.

Two teams have qualified for the semi-finals, and the remaining four will battle it out in two quarter-final match-ups. Heroic and Natus Vincere have punched their tickets to the semi-finals, but Gambit eSports, FaZe Clan, G2 eSports and Virtus.pro all have important games coming up on Friday. Let’s get into who we think will reach the CS:GO final.

Quarterfinals

G2 eSports vs Virtus.pro

This is a tough one to call because both of these teams had to scratch and claw to get their way into the quarter-finals.

G2 eSports were a lower bracket team that had to pick up a string of victories against the likes of Team Liquid and Astralis in Group B to get to the CS:GO final.

Virtus.pro had a more successful run in Group A but was eventually stopped by Heroic in the finals of the Group. Both teams have had an 80% winning percentage in their last match, and both have stepped up when they needed to.

We ultimately believe G2 eSports could pull off an upset here and topple Virtus.pro. The last time the two teams collided, Virtus.pro barely pulled off the win, and G2 eSports have their back against the wall, with something to prove. Check out Bet365 odds before betting!

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FaZe Clan vs Gambit Esports

In our eyes, this match is a lot more cut and dry. FaZe has the name value, and they have a strong squad, for sure.

You don’t have the likes of rain and RobbaN on your squad without being a strong team. But, the fact is they can’t seem to crack the top 5. They reached this point in the CS:GO final by the skin of their teeth.

Gambit eSports is another team that didn’t have a lot of stock going into the IEM but showed up when they were needed to.

They bounced back from a narrow loss to Ninjas in Pyjamas by cleaning up in the lower bracket, avenging their loss to Ninjas in Pyjamas to stamp their place in the quarter-finals. With a stronger team and stronger motivations, we think Gambit eSports will take the victory here and move on to the CS:GO final.

Semi-finals

Natus Vincere vs G2 eSports

This is an interesting game in practice because we see it is a classic rematch story.

Natus Vincere is the current IEM Cologne champion, and they beat none other than G2 eSports to take the crown in Cologne. However, when it comes to Katowice, the odds have changed a little now.

The competition has stepped up, and in fairness, so have these two teams. But, Natus Vincere has been playing a stormer this season. With very few losses under their belt, we say they’ll repeat history and beat out G2 eSports to make it to the last stage of the CS:GO final. Betway has got you covered with top odds on this match!

Heroic vs Gambit eSports

Heroic has been on somewhat of a Cinderella run in the Katowice league.

They haven't played too well in 2021 at all, dropping from their usual greatness in somewhat of a dry spell. But, once Katowice began, they stepped back up to their former glory, cleaning their way through Group A to get to the semi-finals.

Conversely, Gambit eSports seemed to be on a tear before Katowice began. However, they have fallen off during the season, dropping down to the lower bracket before regaining their composure to get to the quarter-finals.

This game could swing either way, but if it comes down to the wire, we think Heroic will get there. It’s what we want to see, but what we could very well see too. Heroic will make it to the CS:GO final.

We at Strafe.com don’t think the Heroic team has ever had a run like this in their careers, and they have all the momentum in their hands to keep it going.

Finals

Maybe Heroic vs Natus Vincere

This seems like the most likely final, but it’s also the CS:GO final we all want. It’s the classic underdog story, with Heroic beating back all the favorites to get to the big boss, Natus Vincere.

Our hearts want to go with Heroic realizing the dream, but our brains tell us Natus Vincere is just too powerful and united to let that happen in this particular CS:GO final.

The team that boasts legends like S1mple, BoombI4 and B1ad3 won’t let a Cinderella story slip through the cracks of their rock-hard game plan. We think Natus Vincere will walk away as the IEM Katowice 2022 champions.

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Conclusion

Rounding everything up, this has been an exciting league. The Katowice has hit all the notes of a great CS:GO tournament. Exciting games, upset results, textbook gameplay, and surprises aplenty.

Ultimately, we believe Natus Vincere just knows how to play classic CS:GO, and their strong side is too dominant to be toppled this season. But, CS:GO is an unpredictable game, so you never know what could happen in this year's CS:GO final!

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