On September 27, Team Vitality will face G2 Esports in the semifinal of BLAST Premier: Fall Groups 2024 for CS2. The match is scheduled for 17:00 EEST and will be played in a bo3 format. Here is a preview, prediction, and analysis of the upcoming match.
Current Form
Vitality's average rating in S-tier events over the last month is 6.5. The team confidently advanced through the group stage of ESL Pro League Season 20, winning Group D, but they lost in the quarterfinals to Eternal Fire, finishing the tournament in 5th-8th place. They have won 4 of their last 5 matches, defeating teams such as FURIA Esports, Astralis, and Team Liquid twice. Vitality arrived at BLAST Premier: Fall Final 2024 as one of the favorites, taking first place in Group B, which allowed them to advance directly to the semifinals and get an extra day of rest before the match.
G2 has an average rating of 6.1 in S-tier championships over the past month. At ESL Pro League Season 20, G2 won Group B but lost in the semifinals to Natus Vincere, finishing the tournament in 3rd-4th place. The team won 3 of their last 5 matches, defeating Liquid, FaZe Clan, and Team Spirit. Both of their losses were against NAVI, currently considered the strongest team in the world. At BLAST Premier: Fall Final 2024, G2 advanced to the playoffs from second place in Group A and defeated Spirit in the quarterfinals. Unlike Vitality, however, they did not have a break before the semifinals.
Map Pool
Vitality usually bans the map Ancient (33 times), as the team does not feel confident on this location. Their most preferred map to pick is Dust2 (18 times, with a 72% win rate). The team's strongest maps are Vertigo (88%), Mirage (86%), and Nuke (80%).
G2 often bans Vertigo (23 times) or Mirage (22 times), focusing on their opponents' weaknesses. Their most frequently picked map is Inferno (24 times, with a 75% win rate), but G2 can also choose Ancient (21 times, 67%) or Nuke (20 times, 70%), depending on their opponent.
It's likely that the teams will exchange bans on Ancient and Vertigo. Vitality might opt for Dust2 or Nuke to capitalize on their advantage on these maps. G2 will probably respond by picking Inferno. For the decider, both teams may leave Mirage, as it suits both sides.
Head-to-Head
The last meeting between Vitality and G2 took place three months ago during BLAST Premier: Spring Final 2024. The match ended with a 2-1 victory for Vitality. In the past six months, the teams have met three times: Vitality won twice, while G2 secured one win. However, these results may not be highly relevant heading into the upcoming clash, as they occurred some time ago.
Bo3.gg Prediction
The match between Vitality and G2 promises to be intense, considering the high level of both teams. Vitality holds a slightly better position due to their stronger recent form and the extra day of rest before the semifinal. This additional preparation time could play a key role in their success. Nonetheless, G2 has been showing strong CS gameplay and can pose a serious challenge for their opponents.
PREDICTION: 2:1 in favor of Vitality
BLAST Premier: Fall Final 2024 runs from September 25 to 29. Teams are competing for a prize pool of $425,000. The tournament schedule and results can be followed via the provided link.
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