paiN and Imperial meet at the Perfect World Shanghai Major 2024: Opening Stage. The match in bo1 format will be another test for both teams in the fight to reach the next stage of the tournament. Given that the teams have met many times in recent months, this game promises to be intense and interesting.

Current form of the teams

paiN Gaming is coming into this match after a successful performance at the American RMR, where they defeated 9z and Imperial but lost to Wildcard. They also performed well at the ESL Challenger Katowice 2024, taking 3-4 place. The team's overall form is stable, and their play in the bo1 format looks confident.

Imperial also demonstrate average results. At the American RMR, they won two victories against RED Canids, KRÜ, but lost to paiN and MIBR. Their style of play is based on aggressiveness, but the team often makes mistakes in important moments.

Team's Map Pool

paiN has a strong mapped deck. Their best cards are Vertigo (74%) and Inferno (74%), where they demonstrate an aggressive style and confident zone control. Anubis also looks promising, with 72% of wins in recent matches. At the same time, Ancient (1 match played) and Mirage (66%) are weaker cards that they usually avoid.

Imperial has a good record on Nuke (54%) and Mirage (65%), where they often win thanks to a well-coordinated attack. Inferno (46%), Anubis (56%), Dust2 (69%) are also favorite maps for the team to prove themselves. Vertigo is a weak map for them, which they try to avoid.

Probable map choice: Considering the mappings of both teams, the match is likely to take place on Dust2.

Head-to-Head

Over the past five months, paiN and Imperial have met eight times, with most of these matches ending in favor of paiN. They have won six times, including the most recent match at the Perfect World Shanghai Major 2024: American RMR, where they won 1-0. Imperial, in turn, took revenge, including at ESL Challenger League Season 48: South America. In general, paiN demonstrate a more stable level of play in face-to-face meetings, which can give them a psychological advantage before this match.

Match prediction

Given the current form of both teams and their history of head-to-head matches, paiN seem to be the favorites in this matchup. Their stability on key maps such as Vertigo and Inferno, as well as positive dynamics in head-to-head matches, gives reason to believe that they are stronger. Imperial, despite some good results, has problems with performance on maps with a high level of competition and feels less confident in the Bo1 format. Although Imperial has a chance to win if they can demonstrate a strong game on Dust2 or Ancient, the advantage remains with paiN.

Prediction: paiN Gaming are the favorites in this match.

Perfect World Shanghai Major 2024 starts on November 30 and will last until December 15. The tournament will feature 24 teams that will compete for a total prize pool of $1,250,000. You can find more information about the tournament and follow the tournament here.