The third round of the group stage of PGL Astana brought key victories for four teams - Virtus.pro, ODDIK, FURIA and Aurora. All four scored the second point and now have excellent chances to reach the playoffs. Meanwhile, BIG, paiN, NIP, and MIBR lost for the second time and are one step away from elimination, with each game to come being their last.

ODDIK vs paiN - 2:0

Anubis 13:10, Nuke 13:11

The match between ODDIK and paiN promised to be one of the hottest in the Brazilian camp, and the expectations were justified. The first map - Anubis - started with a strong start from paiN, who took 4 rounds in a row. However, ODDIK quickly adapted, broke the game with a series of retakes and left with a draw. In the second half, paiN looked better, but several individual mistakes allowed the opponent to close the map 13:10.

On Nuke, the situation was even closer. PaiN did not stay ahead, lost the economy and looked unstable and lost the first half, while ODDIK once again showed their character. The team leader ksloks simply destroyed the opponents in clutches and important moments, scoring 44 frags per match and becoming MVP with a rating of 7.8.

• MVP: ksloks — 7.8 (44-25, +19, 95 ADR)

• EVP: dgt — 6.7 (35-27, +8, 73 ADR)

Virtus.pro vs BIG - 2:0

Dust2 13:9, Ancient 13:3

Virtus.pro approached this match with maximum focus after an uncertain first game at the tournament. And it worked. Already at Dust2, they demonstrated discipline in every element: good positional decisions, timing, rounds with minimal losses. BIG tried to hold on, and even looked dangerous in the middle of the first half, but it wasn't enough.

The second map, Ancient, was a complete rout. VP left their opponents no chance - 13:3. BIG's game looked helpless: a low percentage of trades, poor map control, and some players were openly “floating”. FL1T completely outplayed his opponents, scoring 36 frags and 7.4 rating, becoming the MVP of the match.

• MVP: FL1T — 7.4 (36-20, +16, 102 ADR)

• EVP: JDC — 5.6 (25-29, -4, 70 ADR)

FURIA vs MIBR - 2:1

Train 13:4, Anubis 11:13, Inferno 13:8

The match between FURIA and MIBR was an emotional Brazilian derby that kept the audience in suspense until the last round. The first map, Train, was a rout: FURIA completely outplayed their opponent in both halves. But MIBR didn't give up - having gathered on Anubis, they acted confidently, smoothly and forced FURIA to make mistakes.

The third decisive Inferno was the most dramatic. Here, yuurih took over the game - his aggressive style, precise shooting, and confident clutches ensured FURIA's victory. He finished the game with 56 frags, 7.4 rating and the MVP title. As part of MIBR, saffee tried to counteract and received an EVP of 6.1, but in general, the team did not withstand the pressure in key moments.

• MVP: yuurih — 7.4 (56-33, +23, 99 ADR)

• EVP: saffee — 6.1 (39-40, -1, 73 ADR)

Aurora vs NIP - 2:1

In an important match, Aurora defeated Ninjas in Pyjamas with a score of 2:1. The team won its Anubis spade (13:10), lost on Train (9:13), but closed the game on Inferno (13:8), leaving no chance for the opponent.

NiP lost their second match in a row and are one step away from being eliminated from the playoffs. Aurora, on the other hand, retains its chances of passing, showing a composed game and strong individual form.

• MVP of the match - XANTARES (56/44)
• EVP - sjuush (51/45)

PGL Astana 2025 takes place from May 10 to 18. The entire tournament is held in Astana, Kazakhstan, at Barys Arena. Participants are competing for a prize pool of $625,000. You can follow the results and progress of the tournament through this link.