On July 23, 2025, at 11:00 AM UTC, Astralis will face off against B8 in the Intel Extreme Masters Cologne 2025 Stage 1 Play-In. This best-of-3 series promises to be a thrilling encounter as both teams vie for advancement in this prestigious tournament. We have analyzed the statistics and the current form of the teams to make a prediction for the match outcome. Watch the match here.

Current form of the teams

Astralis currently holds the 15th position in the world rankings. They have shown a solid overall win rate of 57% in recent months, with a notable increase to 67% over the past month. In the recent FISSURE Playground 1 tournament, Astralis finished in 2nd place, earning $100,000. Despite their recent loss to TYLOO in the grand final, Astralis demonstrated strong performances against teams like BetBoom and Lynn Vision, securing 2-0 victories. Their recent matches depict a mixed form, with three wins out of their last five games. Astralis’ earnings over the past six months amount to $380,375, ranking them 6th in earnings among other teams.

B8, ranked 19th globally, has maintained a consistent form with a 75% win rate over the past six months. Despite a recent downturn with losses to Lynn Vision and FURIA at the BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025 Stage 2, B8 managed to secure a significant win against HEROIC. Their earnings in the past six months stand at $121,000, placing them 20th in the earnings rankings. B8’s recent form shows two wins and three losses in their last five matches, indicating potential vulnerabilities.

Teams’ Map Pool

The map veto for this series is expected to see Astralis banning Anubis first, considering their 100% ban rate on this map over the past six months. B8 will likely respond by banning Nuke, a map they have banned frequently. Astralis is expected to pick Ancient, where they have a 64% win rate, while B8 might opt for Mirage, leveraging their 75% win rate on this map. The decider is anticipated to be Inferno, a map where both teams have shown competence.

Head-to-Head

In their previous encounters, Astralis and B8 have faced each other three times, with Astralis winning two of those matches. However, their most recent meeting in April 2025 saw B8 taking a 2-1 victory over Astralis. Historically, Astralis has had an edge with a 67% win rate against B8. The map choices in these encounters have varied, but B8 has shown strength on Mirage, which could be pivotal in this series.

Match Prediction

Considering the current form, map pool statistics, and past head-to-head results, Astralis is favored to win this series with a predicted score of 2-1. Their recent performances, particularly on maps like Ancient and Inferno, give them a strategic advantage. However, B8’s prowess on Mirage and their potential to upset should not be underestimated. Ultimately, Astralis’ overall consistency and higher win probability make them the likely victors in this matchup.

Prediction: Astralis 2:1 B8

Intel Extreme Masters Cologne 2025 takes place from July 23 to August 3 in Germany, featuring a prize pool of $1,250,000. You can follow the news, schedule, and results of the tournament via the official tournament page.