After a tense and no less exciting series against Astralis at the IEM Cologne tournament, Team G2 is preparing to face paiN in the lower Group A final. This victory over Astralis not only boosted their confidence, but also provided a unique opportunity to take to the LANXESS-arena stage for the first time in a long time. "The way we played today, the communication and energy in the team was very good," noted Janusz "Snax" Pogorzelski, praising his teammates.

The passage of G2 at IEM Cologne is shaping up to be dramatic. The international team, facing elimination, confidently defeated Astralis on Dust2 and Ancient, but unexpectedly lost control on Mirage, where the Danes made a 6:1 scoreline clawback. After the series ended, Snax, expressing his thoughts, remarked, "I would say the only bad half was CT Mirage. Maybe we were too focused on helping me on the B instead of playing the default, for example."

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A breakdown of the match and future prospects

The win over Astralis with a final score of 2-1 came as a surprise to many. Team G2 won 19 of the first 21 rounds of the series, but then lost focus to Mirage. "We just lost the pistol round, then some close rounds, and it was hard for us to come back," Snax explained. Despite the challenges, however, Snax believes in his team: "Forget about Mirage, it doesn't matter now. We still have one card to win."

G2 will now face paiN. Snax believes that the team is strong and capable of creating difficulties, but he is confident in his team's capabilities, "I think if we perform with the same energy as we did against Spirit and Astralis, we can win."

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A glimpse into the future

If G2 can overcome this final barrier, Snax will have a chance to re-enter the LANXESS-arena stage for the first time since 2016. "Obviously, I always love playing in front of an audience. It's always fun, you know, listening to people screaming and cheering for the teams. That would be great," Snax shared. For him, this is not only an opportunity to prove himself on the big stage, but also a special moment in his career that could open new perspectives for the whole team.