The lower bracket semifinal of the BLAST Open Spring 2025 between The Mongolz and Liquid promises to be exciting: both teams have already shown their character, but now it's a fight for survival. The Mongolz have looked more stable in recent weeks, while Liquid is trying to find their game after a series of setbacks. Let's analyze the current form of the teams, their map pool, and make a match prediction.

Current Form of the Teams

The Mongolz

The Mongolz showed decent results at the ESL Pro League Season 21, reaching the playoffs with a 3-1 record, but were stopped at the semifinal stage. At BLAST Open Spring 2025, the team also reached the semifinals but lost, sending them to the lower bracket. Over the past month, their average rating at S-tier events was 6.1. In their last five matches, The Mongolz secured three victories against M80, NAVI, and 3DMAX, but suffered defeats against NAVI and Vitality.

Liquid

Team Liquid also participated in ESL Pro League Season 21, where they advanced to the playoffs with a 3-2 result but lost in the quarterfinals. At BLAST Open Spring 2025, they lost their first match but managed to win in the lower bracket, continuing their fight. Liquid's average rating at S-tier events over the past month is 6.0. In their last five matches, the team won twice, defeating Imperial and 3DMAX, but also faced losses against Eternal Fire, Vitality, and MOUZ.

Team Map Pool

The Mongolz typically first ban the map Train, which they have done 15 times in recent matches. Considering this and Liquid's habit of starting with a ban on Mirage, these two maps are likely to be removed first. In the selection phase, The Mongolz might choose Inferno — their strongest map with a 77% win rate — or Ancient, where they also have stable performances. Liquid, on the other hand, will likely pick Anubis — one of their favorite maps with an impressive 69% win rate.

After the second bans, Dust II and Nuke will be in question, but given that Dust II is rarely chosen by both teams, yet they perform well on it (except for Liquid), it's highly likely to remain as the deciding map. In such a scenario, much will depend on current form and individual plays, as Dust II can offer both sides chances for victory.

Head-to-Head Matches

The last encounter between The Mongolz and Liquid took place just a month ago, and in that match, The Mongolz emerged victorious with a 2:1 score. This gives The Mongolz additional confidence heading into the upcoming match, considering they have already defeated Liquid in a recent battle.

Match Prediction

Considering the current form of the teams and their performances in the latest tournament, the match prediction looks quite intriguing. The Mongolz are in the lower bracket after a strong performance in the main part of the tournament, and their win rate on maps like Inferno and Anubis gives them a significant advantage. Although Liquid also has strong maps, their recent losses to teams like Eternal Fire and MOUZ, as well as instability on Dust II, could work against them.

Prediction: The Mongolz win 2:1

BLAST Open Lisbon 2025 runs from March 19 to 30. The group stage will take place at the BLAST studio in Copenhagen, and the playoffs will be held at the MEO Arena in Lisbon, Portugal. For more detailed information on the results and progress of the tournament, follow this link.