The showdown between Natus Vincere and Spirit is set to commence on August 2, 2025, at 13:45 UTC. This best-of-3 match is part of the Intel Extreme Masters Cologne 2025 Playoffs, a prestigious tournament that draws the best teams from around the globe to compete on the grand stage. The tournament, hosted in Germany, boasts a substantial prize pool of $1,250,000. We have analyzed the statistics and the current form of the teams to make a prediction for the match outcome. For more details about the match, visit here.

Current form of the teams

Natus Vincere, currently ranked 8th in the world (source), has shown impressive form recently with a winstreak of three matches. Over the last month, their win rate has surged to 80%, reflecting a strong performance trajectory. However, their win rate over the recent half year stands at 61%, indicating some inconsistencies over a longer period. In the last six months, Natus Vincere has amassed earnings of $201,250, placing them 10th in the financial rankings.

In their recent matches, Natus Vincere has been on a roll, securing victories against formidable opponents. They triumphed over The MongolZ with a 2-0 scoreline and defeated FaZe 2-0. Their recent victory against Ninjas in Pyjamas was a hard-fought 2-1 battle. However, they faced a setback against MOUZ with a 0-2 loss. Earlier, they had another win against FaZe, illustrating their ability to bounce back.

Spirit, on the other hand, is ranked 3rd globally (source) and is riding a three-match winning streak. Their recent month has been flawless with a 100% win rate, and they maintain a robust 76% win rate over the past half year. Spirit has also been financially successful, with earnings of $530,000 in the last six months, ranking them 4th among their peers.

Spirit’s recent performances include a notable victory against MOUZ, winning 2-1. They also defeated Aurora and HEROIC with clean 2-0 sweeps. However, they did suffer a loss to MOUZ in a previous encounter at the BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025, where they finished in the 5-8th position.

Teams Map Pool

The map veto process for this match is expected to be strategic. Natus Vincere is likely to first ban Dust2, a map where Spirit holds a significant advantage with an 85% win rate over 20 matches. Spirit is anticipated to counter by banning Inferno, a map they have consistently vetoed in the past. Natus Vincere is expected to pick Mirage, their strongest map with a 65% win rate over 20 matches, while Spirit might opt for Nuke, where they have a 67% win rate. The decider map could be Anubis, where both teams have moderate success.

Head-to-Head

In their recent encounters, Spirit has had the upper hand against Natus Vincere, winning four out of their last five meetings. Their most recent clash at the BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025 ended with Spirit securing a 2-0 victory. Natus Vincere did manage to snag a win back in February, but since then, Spirit has dominated the head-to-head, leveraging map advantages and tactical play to outmaneuver their opponents.

Prediction

Considering the current form and historical performance, Spirit appears to have a significant edge over Natus Vincere. Spirit’s higher win rate, recent victories, and superior map control suggest they are likely to emerge victorious in this contest. Although Natus Vincere has shown resilience, Spirit’s consistent form and strategic prowess make them favorites to win with a predicted score of 2-1.

Prediction: Natus Vincere 1:2 Spirit

Intel Extreme Masters Cologne 2025 takes place from July 26 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 link.