On May 28 at 20:00 EEST, Natus Vincere will play against Team Spirit for a spot in the playoffs of IEM Dallas 2024 in Counter-Strike 2. In this article, we will discuss the current form of the teams, the history of their encounters, and make a prediction for the outcome of this group stage match.
Current Form
After their triumph at the Major, NAVI had a month-long break from the competitive scene. After that, they competed in ESL Pro League Season 19. In Malta, Aleksi "Aleksib" Virolainen’s team easily passed through their group and made it to the playoffs. However, they were immediately met by FaZe Clan and were eliminated from the championship. At IEM Dallas, they have already defeated BIG, but they did not look like a team with 100% confidence.
After their victory at IEM Katowice 2024, Spirit significantly slowed down. The team only secured 5th-8th place at the Major, missed EPL S19, and lost to MOUZ in the final of BetBoom Dacha Belgrade 2024. Spirit’s opponents have now adapted to their style, and they have to fight hard for every victory.
History of Encounters
In the last six months, NAVI and Spirit have faced each other twice—at IEM Katowice and the Major. Both times, Spirit emerged victorious. Despite this, both matches were closely contested and went to three maps.
Map Pool
Regarding the map pool, we definitely won't see Vertigo and Inferno, as they are priority bans for both teams. On Anubis, Mirage, and Ancient, Spirit has a significantly higher win rate. Nuke, statistically, appears to be equal for both teams. It’s hard to say about Dust2 because, since its return to the active map pool, Spirit has played it only once, and NAVI has completely ignored it.
Prediction
Based on statistical data, Spirit is the favorite in this match. This is indicated not only by individual player statistics but also by the history of the teams' encounters and win rates on various maps. The match is unlikely to be easy, and NAVI will probably push it to a decisive third map. However, it is difficult to find arguments for NAVI coming out on top in this matchup. Our prediction: Spirit wins 2-1.
IEM Dallas 2024 takes place from May 27 to June 2 in the USA. Teams are competing for a prize pool of $250,000 and a slot at IEM Cologne 2024. You can follow the schedule and results of the championship through the provided link.
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