Counter-Strike 2
MOUZ best Astralis to reach Cluj-Napoca final
MOUZ have locked down their spot in the final of PGL Cluj-Napoca 2025, taking down Astralis 2-1 for the honor. Astralis on the other hand will now be preparing to compete in the event's third-place decider series against either FaZe or Falcons.
The young international side kicked off the series with an impressive comeback on Astralis' pick of Inferno, crawling back from a 4-12 deficit to secure a 16-14 map win. MOUZ struggled on their pick of Nuke, dropping it 13-8, but came back swinging on the decider of Ancient with a 13-5 scoreline to send Astralis packing.
MOUZ pull off impressive comeback on Inferno
Although MOUZ were able to secure this series in three maps, Astralis very nearly could have taken it in two. The Danish quintet racked up a dominant 12-4 lead on their own map pick of Inferno, in large part thanks to a lackluster CT-side from MOUZ.
Despite the daunting scoreline, MOUZ managed to claw their opponent's map pick to overtime, spearheaded by strong individual performances from Lotan "Spinx" Giladi and Ádám "torzsi" Torzsás. Astralis could not get their head back above water in overtime, allowing MOUZ to steal away Inferno 16-14.
"We definitely fucked up the CT-side," Spinx stated bluntly when asked about Inferno. "We didn't even think about the win, we just said let's get some rounds so we have some momentum for Nuke."
The new MOUZ rifler also praised captain Ludvig "Brollan" Brolin for facilitating the comeback. "I think Brollan just had an amazing T-side as an IGL. Every call he did was the perfect call. I'm proud of him."
MOUZ reach first final in over four months
Brollan's first event for MOUZ with the team's full starting lineup has already paid dividends, as the Swede has lead the young squad to their first grand final since IEM Rio 2024, where MOUZ faltered to Natus Vincere 1-3.
In addition to having the opportunity to hoist a trophy in Cluj-Napoca, Brollan's men will also have the chance to secure revenge in the grand final against either of their eventual opponents.
MOUZ already suffered losses to both Falcons and FaZe in the group stage, meaning that Brollan's men will need to sort out their mistakes from earlier in the event in short order if they want to have a chance at locking down a win in the best-of-five final.
Astralis has more to play for
Although this loss would, in most formats, mark the end of a semi-finalist's campaign, Astralis will have the opportunity to compete for additional prize money and VRS points in a third-place decider series ahead of tomorrow's grand final.
The third-place team will secure $150,000, while the fourth-place side will claim just $87,500, a difference that could prove to be substantial in regards to invites for the Major and other key tournaments.
Astralis will play against the loser of the semi-final series between FaZe and Falcons. While Casper "cadiaN" Møller and company already suffered a loss to René "TeSeS" Madsen and the rest of Falcons earlier in the group stage, a series against FaZe would mark the first time the two organizations have clashed since April 24, 2024 at EPL Season 19.
The young international side kicked off the series with an impressive comeback on Astralis' pick of Inferno, crawling back from a 4-12 deficit to secure a 16-14 map win. MOUZ struggled on their pick of Nuke, dropping it 13-8, but came back swinging on the decider of Ancient with a 13-5 scoreline to send Astralis packing.
MOUZ pull off impressive comeback on Inferno
Although MOUZ were able to secure this series in three maps, Astralis very nearly could have taken it in two. The Danish quintet racked up a dominant 12-4 lead on their own map pick of Inferno, in large part thanks to a lackluster CT-side from MOUZ.
Despite the daunting scoreline, MOUZ managed to claw their opponent's map pick to overtime, spearheaded by strong individual performances from Lotan "Spinx" Giladi and Ádám "torzsi" Torzsás. Astralis could not get their head back above water in overtime, allowing MOUZ to steal away Inferno 16-14.
"We definitely fucked up the CT-side," Spinx stated bluntly when asked about Inferno. "We didn't even think about the win, we just said let's get some rounds so we have some momentum for Nuke."
The new MOUZ rifler also praised captain Ludvig "Brollan" Brolin for facilitating the comeback. "I think Brollan just had an amazing T-side as an IGL. Every call he did was the perfect call. I'm proud of him."
MOUZ reach first final in over four months
Brollan's first event for MOUZ with the team's full starting lineup has already paid dividends, as the Swede has lead the young squad to their first grand final since IEM Rio 2024, where MOUZ faltered to Natus Vincere 1-3.
In addition to having the opportunity to hoist a trophy in Cluj-Napoca, Brollan's men will also have the chance to secure revenge in the grand final against either of their eventual opponents.
MOUZ already suffered losses to both Falcons and FaZe in the group stage, meaning that Brollan's men will need to sort out their mistakes from earlier in the event in short order if they want to have a chance at locking down a win in the best-of-five final.
Astralis has more to play for
Although this loss would, in most formats, mark the end of a semi-finalist's campaign, Astralis will have the opportunity to compete for additional prize money and VRS points in a third-place decider series ahead of tomorrow's grand final.
The third-place team will secure $150,000, while the fourth-place side will claim just $87,500, a difference that could prove to be substantial in regards to invites for the Major and other key tournaments.
Astralis will play against the loser of the semi-final series between FaZe and Falcons. While Casper "cadiaN" Møller and company already suffered a loss to René "TeSeS" Madsen and the rest of Falcons earlier in the group stage, a series against FaZe would mark the first time the two organizations have clashed since April 24, 2024 at EPL Season 19.
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