Forecast for the ESL Pro League Season 19 playoffs. Who will contend for the Intel Grand Slam?
The protracted group stage of EPL S19 has come to an end, leaving only 16 teams vying for the title. Not all teams enter this stage of the tournament on equal footing, but there are reasons for that. Some had an extra week of rest, while others played their crucial matches for advancement just the day before yesterday. Additionally, some teams earned the right to start from the quarterfinals or skip the first round of the playoffs. It’s worth noting that there won’t be any lower brackets in the tournament, and every match is played for progression and the opportunity to stay at the Malta airport as late as possible.
First round of the playoffs. There are clear favorites in each match.
First up are the teams that placed third and fourth in their groups. Let’s start with the G2 versus BIG match, where the international lineup shouldn’t have any issues advancing in the tournament bracket. Ilya “m0NESY” Osipov’s team likes to surprise fans in games against underdogs, as they did against TheMongolz or M80 in this tournament. They’ve had a week to iron out mistakes, so they shouldn’t encounter any surprises against BIG. Both teams avoid Mirage, but if needed, G2 shouldn’t have a problem playing that map against BIG and they’ll likely veto Vertigo (BIG’s best map).
Next, Virtus.pro will face GamerLegion, where two academy players are currently playing. If the Russian team faces any problems in this match, it would be a sensation. Signing Denis “electroNic” Sharipov for a six-figure sum was clearly not for such results, plus the team had an extra week to prepare. The only obstacle to victory could be losing on Overpass, which is a favored map for both teams. Therefore, expecting an easy 2-0 from VP is not advisable, but logically, this match shouldn’t be their last in EPL S19.
The most interesting pair is BetBoom Team versus Fly Quest. On one hand, there’s another Russian roster that emerged from a tough group, bypassing the Last Chance stage. On the other hand, the Australians barely made it to the playoffs. Despite these factors, Fly Quest is preferred again due to a more comfortable map pool. The young squad under the leadership of Vladislav “nafany” Gorshkov plays extremely inconsistently, and such matches will be another test of their resilience.
We’ve reached the toughest bracket on the road to victory at ESL Pro League Season 19. The winner of the FaZe/Monte pair will face NAVI and Vitality if they win against the reigning Major champions. Of course, there’s no doubt about FaZe’s victory here, but what will happen in the next matches?
Second round of the playoffs. Only an extra day of preparation will help them.
French collective 3DMAX awaits their opponents in the G2/BIG pair, and interestingly, they’ll be underdogs in any scenario. With G2, everything is fairly straightforward, but in the case of BIG, they are unlikely to be intimidated after triumphing over one of the world’s best teams. There’s a feeling that 3DMAX has already shown their maximum, and reaching the second round of the playoffs in EPL S19 would be considered a good result.
In the next possible pairs, things are not so straightforward. The Mongolian team is unlikely to want Virtus.pro as their future opponent. They’ll surely spend the next two days preparing to face Jame Ali’s squad, as sheer firepower won’t be enough for victory. This match feels like a 65/35 advantage in favor of the Bears. If GamerLegion wins in the first round, then TheMongolz will gladly serve as a barrier for them to advance to the quarterfinals.
Team Liquid shouldn’t bother guessing who their opponent will be and should focus on improving their own game. The skill level of their players is undoubtedly sufficient to take two maps from BetBoom or Fly Quest. For the team from the North American region, their main opponent is only themselves, so making precise predictions for matches involving them is very difficult.
Most likely, the last match of the second round will be a repeat of the PGL Major Copenhagen final – NAVI/FaZe, and the latter should take revenge and advance further in the bracket. It would be interesting to watch the Ukrainian derby in Malta, but in this case, the champions will remain champions and proceed to the quarterfinals.
Quarterfinals. Who will ultimately become the champion?
Further detailed analysis of each individual match would be rather pointless. Each of the teams starting their playoffs journey from the quarterfinal stage could face three different opponents. One thing can be said for sure – there are no randomly qualified teams here, and it’s unlikely that any will emerge after two rounds.
Of course, MOUZ is the main contender for victory in the tournament and should claim their second EPL title in a row. Remember, they were the champions of the previous season and are still contenders for the Intel Grand Slam in the fifth season. The main argument in favor of the young squad’s championship is the absence of matches on a larger stage. The playoffs will be played from the studio, with very few people allowed in, mostly consisting of ESL staff and organization employees. This roster has long deserved another major trophy, and EPL provides ideal conditions for it. There are no serious questions about their gameplay; Brollan has seamlessly fit into frozen’s place, and no moral pressure will help their opponents here. The BO5 final format is another factor in favor of MOUZ, as they feel comfortable on all maps, and banning Anubis will be enough for them.
Believing in Complexity’s victory is hardly possible, especially since they are in the same bracket as MOUZ. Their performance in the group stage can hardly be called confident, and they only faced NAVI among the strong opponents, whose form is still uncertain.
Making predictions for the lower part of the table is also very difficult, as it includes Astralis, Vitality, NAVI, FaZe, and Team Liquid. At first glance, Astralis and FaZe are the favorites here, as the fate of the first place in Group A was decided precisely in this pair. The greatest chances of disrupting this semifinal lie with Vitality, but their path to the quarterfinals was too straightforward, and rumors have it that the team is actively seeking a replacement for mezii.
Our forecast for the ESL Pro League Season 19 playoff bracket:
- Round 1 winners: G2, Virtus.pro, Fly Quest, FaZe
- Round 2 winners: G2, Virtus.pro, Team Liquid, FaZe
- Quarterfinal winners: MOUZ, Virtus.pro, Astralis, FaZe
- Semifinal winners: MOUZ, FaZe
- Tournament champion: MOUZ