Fnatic will face Astralis in a group stage match at ESL Pro League Season 20 for Counter-Strike 2. The match will be played in a best-of-3 format and is scheduled for September 10 at 14:30 EEST. We analyzed the statistics of both teams and made a prediction on the outcome of the upcoming match.

Current Form

Over the past month, Fnatic has not participated in major S-tier tournaments, focusing instead on various qualifiers. However, these attempts were unsuccessful, as the team failed to qualify, which negatively impacted their form. In their last five matches, Fnatic has won two and lost three. The team defeated opponents like OG and Cloud9, which shows their potential against top-tier teams. However, losses to Team 3DMAX, HEROIC, and ECSTATIC indicate the squad’s instability, especially against weaker teams.

Astralis, on the other hand, has been actively participating in major tournaments. The team’s average rating in S-tier tournaments over the past month was 5.5. At IEM Cologne 2024, the team didn’t make it to the playoffs, finishing the tournament in 9th-12th place, which also reflects a lack of stability. In their last five matches, Astralis also won two and lost three. Their victories were against Ninjas in Pyjamas and 9z Team, while losses came against strong opponents: Team Vitality, Natus Vincere, and G2 Esports. It’s important to note that Astralis faced much tougher opponents compared to Fnatic, giving Astralis an edge in being more prepared for challenging matches.

Map Pool

Fnatic shows clear preferences in map choices. The team most frequently bans the map Nuke—38 times, indicating a strong reluctance to play on it. Fnatic’s most picked map is Ancient, which they’ve played 29 times with a 62% win rate. Among their maps with the highest win rates are Vertigo (75%), Inferno (67%), and Ancient (62%). This suggests that Fnatic can feel confident on these maps.

Astralis, like Fnatic, has clear priorities in map selections. The team primarily bans Anubis—26 times. As for their map choices, Astralis prefers Ancient (15 times, 67% win rate) and Nuke (14 times, 50% win rate). They also have strong performances on Inferno (70%), Ancient (67%), and Vertigo (67%), making them a tough opponent on these maps.

It is highly likely that Fnatic will ban Nuke, and Astralis will ban Anubis. Fnatic will likely choose Ancient, as it is their strongest map. Astralis, in turn, will probably pick Inferno, given their high win rate on it. Vertigo is likely to be the decider, as both teams perform well on this map.

Prediction from Bo3.gg

The match between Fnatic and Astralis promises to be intense. Despite the instability of both teams, it is worth noting that Astralis has faced tougher opponents in recent matches and has shown competitive play at a high level, especially against top-tier teams. Fnatic, meanwhile, has had decent results against weaker teams but failed to show consistency against stronger opponents.

Based on the current form and map pool, it can be assumed that Astralis holds a slight advantage in this match. Their experience in major tournaments and results against strong opponents make them the favorites. However, Fnatic could put up a fight, especially if they manage to win on Ancient, where they have a high win rate. The expected result is a 2:1 victory for Astralis.

PREDICTION: 2:1 in favor of Astralis

ESL Pro League Season 20 runs from September 3 to 22 in Malta. Teams are competing for a prize pool of $750,000. You can follow the schedule and results of the championship through this link.