The match between Imperial and Liquid in the lower bracket of the BLAST Open Spring 2025 will be crucial for both teams, as a defeat means elimination from the tournament. The tension is at an all-time high, as every mistake can be fatal. The match format is Bo3, which allows the teams to show their adaptability and tactical flexibility.

The current form of the teams

Imperial

Imperial demonstrate a confident game at the regional level, but in matches against strong opponents, the team often faces difficulties. Recently, they took first place at the CCT Season 2 South American Series #7, defeating Sharks with a score of 2-1. Imperial also defeated Fluxo (2-1) and MIBR Academy (2-0), which shows their high level in South America. However, their defeat by G2 at BLAST Open Spring 2025 (0-2) showed their problems at the international level.

Liquid

Liquid demonstrate instability on the international stage. At the ESL Pro League Season 21, they took 5-8th place, losing to MOUZ (2-0) and winning to 3DMAX (2-1), and losing to Vitality (0-2) and Eternal Fire (0-2). Despite these setbacks, the team has shown that they are capable of competing on equal terms with top opponents, making them favorites on paper.

Map Pool of the Teams

Imperial

Imperial have a strong play on Dust II (71%) and Nuke (55%), which are their main maps. Anubis (67%) is also a good matchup for the team, but Inferno (46%) is a weakness, which could be a problem against Liquid. It will be especially important to avoid the Ancient map, where Imperial has only 25% WR. Also, the team often has difficulty adapting to maps that are difficult for them.

Liquid

Liquid have a stable performance on Train (100%) and Nuke (42%), which makes them dangerous on these maps. However, they are mediocre on Inferno (46%) and Mirage (40%), which could be a chance for Imperial. At the same time, Liquid show a poor performance on Dust II (17%).

Match Prediction

The match will be tense due to the importance of the fight in the lower bracket, as a defeat will lead to elimination from the tournament. Liquid has an advantage on the main maps and better statistics in recent matches, which makes them the favorites of the match. However, Imperial can surprise if they can impose their game on Dust II or Nuke.

The expected result is a 2-1 victory for Liquid, but Imperial has a chance of success if they can adapt to a strong opponent and use their best maps.

Prediction: Liquid wins 2-1

The BLAST Open Spring 2025 takes place in Lisbon and Copenhagen from March 19 to 30. The prize pool is $400,000. The tournament is held in the format of Two double-elimination format (GSL) Groups, where each group has eight teams. All matches are played in Bo3 format, which gives teams more opportunities to prove themselves.  For more details on the results and progress of the tournament, you can follow this link.