In the first round of IEM Katowice 2025, we will see a match between NAVI and FURIA. Both teams come to the tournament in different forms, and while NAVI seems more stable and one of the favorites, FURIA can surprise. In this material, we'll analyze the current form of the teams, their map pool, and share a prediction for the match outcome.

Current Form of the Teams

The average rating for NAVI in S-tier tournaments over the past month is 5.9. At BLAST Bounty Spring 2025: Closed Qualifier, the team confidently won their first matches, defeating Imperial Fe and Astralis with identical scores of 2-0. In the LAN part of the tournament, NAVI beat paiN in a tough game (2-1), but couldn't handle Spirit in the semifinals (0-2). 

The average rating for FURIA in the past month is 6.3. At BLAST Bounty Spring 2025: Closed Qualifier, their results were average: a victory over Nemiga (2-1) and a loss to BetBoom (1-2). However, during the IEM Katowice 2025 Play-In stage, FURIA excelled, easily defeating Imperial Fe (2-0) and Wildcard (2-1). 

Map Pool 

NAVI is very likely to ban Train, which they have not played since its addition, as the team previously banned Vertigo, and replacing it with Train has been comfortable for them. They will most likely choose Dust2, where they have their best win rate—80% across 15 games, or Ancient (75% win rate over 20 games), which are their strong maps. Nuke will remain in the pool as a possible decider, considering both teams play this map at a high level.

FURIA is likely to ban Ancient, which they have already banned 29 times. Mirage might also get banned, where the team has one of the lowest win rates—35% over 20 matches. Their choice will likely fall on Nuke (71% win rate over 17 games) or Dust2 (68% win rate over 19 games), which are their strengths. The deciding map could be Inferno, which remains comfortable for both teams.

1. Mirage — NAVI's choice
2. Nuke — FURIA's choice
3. Inferno — decider

Match Prediction

Given the form of the teams and their map preferences, NAVI appears to be the clear favorite. Their stability gives them a significant advantage. However, FURIA can put up a fight, especially on Nuke, where they perform well.

NAVI 2-0 FURIA

IEM Katowice 2025 takes place from January 29 to February 9 in Katowice, Poland. Twenty-four teams will compete for a prize pool of $1 million. You can follow the event schedule and results via this link.