Team Liquid advanced to the Group D finals at the BLAST Premier Fall Groups with a 2-1 victory over Natus Vincere. The win followed up their successful start with a new roster and inflicted the first defeat of the season on the Esports World Cup holders.
After a 2-0 debut win over Virtus.pro, Liquid continued their winning streak by showing their will to win in a hard fought battle against NAVI at Anubis. Natus Vincere responded with a stylish win on Inferno, but were unable to finish the game, letting a 7-0 lead slip away on Inferno.
Importance of the encounter and backstory
This game was significant not only because of the status of the teams, but also because of the context - Liquid are one win away from the BLAST Fall Finals, and their confidence is growing. However, Keith "NAF" Markovic reminded us that the work isn't over yet, noting that BLAST Groups are often a problem for them.
Meeting progress: match details
The series started on Anubis, the map chosen by Liquid. Natus Vincere had won only one of their previous three games on this map, but they showed their best offense. b1t continued their good form with 15 frags and NAVI led 8:4. The score could have been even more dramatic if Mareks "YEKINDAR" Gaļinskis hadn't made a clever clutch in the ninth round.
After the break, the course of the game changed as Liquid found another gear. They took over the game with a dominant 8-1 record and then held off a late NAVI comeback attempt to lock down the card.
Natus Vincere were not shaken by this defeat and came out to Mirage looking for revenge. They dictated the pace from the first minutes and played ten rounds on offense led by b1t who posted an amazing 17-3 score and a 9.3 rating, w0nderful also distinguished himself playing 18-5 and a 9.0 rating. The second half was a mere formality as NAVI quickly scored three rounds, sending the series to Inferno.
NAVI carried their momentum into the deciding map and secured a 7-0 lead on the T side. Liquid then finally got off to a flying start and began to dominate, cutting the gap to just two rounds before changing sides.
Reactions and Final Thoughts
The NAVI players looked slow and unsettled, and they didn't have time to react before Liquid seized the lead after a strong start on the CT side. Roland "ultimate" Tomkowiak showed nerves of steel by committing one clutch after another, resulting in Liquid taking complete control.
Valeriy "b1t" Vakhovskiy, commenting on the game, said that NAVI didn't show the intensity they displayed after the break. "Disgraceful game from us, that's all," Justinas "jL" Lekavicius wrote on X.
This win highlights the importance of Liquid's new roster and their potential this season. Despite the curse of BLAST Groups, the team shows high confidence and a drive to overcome past failures. The skills and adaptability of players such as NAF and ultimate could play a key role in their future successes.
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