In the group stage of PGL Bucharest 2025, we're set for an intense showdown between FaZe and Astralis—two legendary teams striving to find their form at the start of the tournament. Despite recent inconsistent results, both teams have the potential to advance to the playoffs, and their head-to-head clash could be decisive in the battle for crucial points.
Current Form of the Teams
FaZe
FaZe has been showing inconsistent play recently. The team's average rating at S-tier tournaments over the past month stands at 5.8. At the recent BLAST Open Spring 2025, the team reached the lower bracket semifinals, where they were defeated. Out of five matches played, FaZe won only one, suffering losses to Spirit, Virtus.pro, Falcons, and Astralis, but securing a victory over Astralis.
| Date | Team | Score | Opponent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 23 | FaZe | 0 - 2 | Spirit |
| Mar 21 | FaZe | 2 - 0 | Astralis |
| Mar 19 | FaZe | 1 - 2 | Virtus.pro |
| Feb 23 | FaZe | 1 - 2 | Astralis |
| Feb 22 | FaZe | 0 - 2 | Falcons |
Astralis
Astralis has also been far from optimal form lately. Their average rating at S-tier events over the past month is 5.1. At BLAST Open Spring 2025, the team lost both matches and exited the tournament without winning a single map. In their last five matches, Astralis secured 2 victories—against The Mongolz and FaZe, but lost to Vitality, MOUZ, and in a recent rematch, lost again to FaZe.
| Date | Team | Score | Opponent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 21 | Astralis | 0 - 2 | FaZe |
| Mar 19 | Astralis | 0 - 2 | Vitality |
| Feb 23 | Astralis | 2 - 1 | FaZe |
| Feb 22 | Astralis | 1 - 2 | MOUZ |
| Feb 21 | Astralis | 2 - 0 | The Mongolz |
Team Map Pool
The map selection in the upcoming match between FaZe and Astralis promises to be tense and well-thought-out. FaZe is likely to start with their traditional ban of Train, while Astralis will remove Anubis—a map they've avoided for a long time. In the pick phase, FaZe will likely choose Ancient, where they show strong play, while Astralis is expected to opt for Inferno, where they feel confident.
In the second round of bans, FaZe will probably exclude Nuke, wary of Astralis's strong play on this map. Astralis might remove Mirage to prevent FaZe from capitalizing on a map where they have a high win rate. As a result, the decider might be Dust II—a map neither team shows a particular interest in, but FaZe have played on it more frequently, which could be advantageous in the decisive battle.
| Map | FaZe Winrate | M | B | Last 5 Matches (FaZe) | Astralis Winrate | M | B | Last 5 Matches (Astralis) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Train | 100% | 1 | 10 | FB, FB, FB, FB, W | 50% | 4 | 6 | L, W, W, L |
| Anubis | 50% | 8 | 10 | W, L, L, W, L | 0% | 0 | 30 | FB, FB, FB, FB, FB |
| Inferno | 33% | 12 | 6 | L, L, W, L, FB | 62% | 21 | 1 | W, W, L, L, W |
| Mirage | 58% | 12 | 7 | FB, L, FB, W, W | 31% | 16 | 9 | L, W, L, W, L |
| Ancient | 71% | 17 | 3 | W, W, L, L, L | 53% | 15 | 5 | W, W, W, L, W |
| Nuke | 53% | 15 | 8 | L, W, W, W, L | 59% | 17 | 1 | L, W, L, W, L |
| Dust II | 38% | 13 | 10 | L, W, L, L, FB | 38% | 8 | 10 | L, L, W, L, L |
Head-to-Head Matches
In the past six months, FaZe and Astralis have faced each other twice:
- 15 days ago, FaZe secured a convincing 2-0 victory, showing good adaptation to their opponent's style.
- A month ago, the match ended in a 2-1 victory for Astralis, where the team displayed a more organized game on Inferno.
Both encounters were closely contested, but the alternating victories indicate the competitive nature of their rivalry.
| Date | Team | Score | Opponent |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 days ago | Astralis | 0 - 2 | FaZe |
| 1 month ago | Astralis | 2 - 1 | FaZe |
Match Prediction
Considering the current form of the teams, FaZe seems slightly more favorable. Despite overall inconsistent results, they recently defeated Astralis convincingly and show a higher average rating at top tournaments. Importantly, Ancient—a potential pick for FaZe—is one of their strongest maps and could be a key element in the match. On the other hand, Astralis knows how to adapt, and if they can execute their game on Inferno, they have a chance to at least put up a fight.
Prediction: FaZe wins 2:1
PGL Bucharest 2025 takes place from April 6 to 13. The entire tournament is held in Bucharest, Romania at the PGL Studio. Participants are competing for a prize pool of $625,000. You can follow the results and progress of the tournament through this link.
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