On July 26, 2025, at 14:00 UTC, esports fans will witness an exciting best-of-3 showdown between Vitality and Astralis as part of the Intel Extreme Masters Cologne 2025 Group A. We have analyzed the statistics and the current form of the teams to make a prediction for the match outcome. Watch the match here.

Current form of the teams

Vitality, currently ranked number 1 in the world according to the Valve Rankings, has been on a remarkable run. Over the past year, they have boasted an impressive win rate of 87%, which has further improved to 97% over the last six months. Their most recent form is nothing short of dominant, with a winstreak of six matches. In the last six months, Vitality has earned $1,528,750, securing the top position in terms of earnings.

Their performance at the BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025 was exceptional, where they emerged victorious, claiming the first-place prize of $500,000. Recent matchups include victories against top teams like The MongolZ, MOUZ, and Natus Vincere, showcasing their formidable form.

Astralis, on the other hand, is ranked 15th in the world. Their overall win rate over the past year stands at 53%, with a slight improvement to 59% over the last six months. In the recent month, they have shown a win rate of 67%. Astralis has accumulated $380,375 in earnings over the past six months, placing them sixth in the earnings ranking. They recently participated in the FISSURE Playground 1, finishing in second place. In the ongoing Intel Extreme Masters Cologne 2025, they have had mixed results, defeating paiN Gaming but losing to FURIA in the upper bracket.

Teams Map Pool

The anticipated map veto scenario for this match begins with Vitality banning Ancient, followed by Astralis banning Anubis. Vitality is expected to pick Dust2, a map where they have an 89% win rate over the last six months. Astralis will likely choose Nuke, where they have a 63% win rate. The decider map is predicted to be Inferno, a map both teams are comfortable with, though Vitality holds a slight edge with an 86% win rate compared to Astralis’ 65%.

Head-to-Head

In their last five encounters, Vitality has consistently outperformed Astralis, winning all five matches. Notably, their most recent matchup on March 19, 2025, resulted in a 2-0 victory for Vitality. In terms of map preferences, Vitality has shown a tendency to dominate on Dust2 and Inferno, while Astralis has struggled to find a winning formula against them.

Prediction

Considering the current form and head-to-head history, Vitality is still favored to win, but a 2-1 scoreline is more likely than a clean sweep. While Vitality boasts a superior win rate and recent dominant performances, Astralis has shown enough resilience to potentially take a map, especially on Ancient or Inferno where their experience and structure can shine. Ultimately, Vitality’s consistency, depth, and tactical flexibility should allow them to edge out the series.

Prediction: Vitality 2:1 Astralis

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.