The second day of the Perfect World Shanghai Major 2024: European RMR A has concluded, where NAVI fell to MOUZ and failed to qualify for the Major, while SAW managed to defeat Falcons. Thus, both teams will face each other in a match for a spot in the Major. In this article, we present a preview, review, and analysis of the upcoming match.

Current Team Form

NAVI approached this tournament with a strong performance track. After a convincing victory at IEM Rio 2024, NAVI unexpectedly faltered at BLAST Premier: World Final 2024, where they lost to FaZe and Astralis. The average team rating at S-tier events over the past month is 5.7, and at this tournament, they have already defeated Fnatic and SINNERS, yet narrowly lost to MOUZ. However, their tight schedule might play into the hands of their opponents, as fatigue becomes a real threat.

SAW are showing confidence against teams at their level, as evidenced by their victory at ESL Challenger Katowice 2024. However, a lack of experience at S-tier events over the past month might affect their play against more renowned opponents. In this tournament, the team defeated Falcons and Unity but lost to SINNERS, which raises questions about their readiness for a tough battle with NAVI.

Map Pool

It is expected that the map ban will begin with Vertigo from NAVI, as the team has not played this map for a long time. SAW, on the other hand, will likely remove Mirage, which is their priority ban.

NAVI's best maps are Anubis (win rate 78%), Dust 2 (win rate 76%), and Mirage (win rate 74%). In turn, SAW's best maps are Nuke (win rate 78%), Dust 2 (win rate 57%), and Ancient (win rate 55%).

1. Ancient - NAVI's pick
2. Nuke - SAW's pick
3. Dust 2 - decider

Head-to-Head History

The last meeting between these teams took place three months ago and ended with NAVI winning 2:1. The teams played on Nuke, Inferno, and Ancient, where SAW managed to take the first map, but NAVI confidently closed out the remaining ones. This experience might play an important role in the psychological mindset of the players.

Match Prediction

Considering the current form and experience, Natus Vincere appear as clear favorites. Their map pool and individual skill give them a significant advantage. However, as w0nderful later mentioned he is sick, which could pose a challenge for NAVI. Therefore, it is plausible to predict that the match will end with a 2:1 score in favor of NAVI, with SAW taking one map, and possibly more with strong play.

ALSO READ: w0nderful's illness affected NAVI's loss against MOUZ

The Perfect World Shanghai Major 2024: European RMR A matches will take place from November 17 to 20 in Shanghai, China. The teams will compete for 7 spots at the Perfect World Shanghai Major 2024. You can follow the championship via the link.