Spirit slår Astralis og starter IEM Krakow etappe 2 med seier

The match between Spirit and Astralis at IEM Krakow Stage 2 delivered a tense and competitive battle. Astralis managed to put up a strong fight against the favorites and even had chances to push the series to a decider, but Spirit were more composed in the key moments. In the end, Spirit kept their cool, confirmed their favorite status, and opened the tournament with a victory.

Map veto:

1. Spirit removed Inferno
2. Astralis removed Anubis
3. Spirit picked Dust2
4. Astralis picked Overpass
5. Spirit removed Ancient
6. Astralis removed Mirage
7. Nuke was left over

Dust2 (16:13 Spirit)

Astralis showed great character against one of the strongest teams in the world on Spirit’s own map pick. In the first half, Spirit managed to secure only five rounds on the T side. After the side switch, Spirit were unable to break their opponent’s momentum. The teams traded rounds, but Spirit reached match point, where Astralis managed to push the game into overtime. Still, Spirit were able to snatch the victory on their pick, winning 16:13.

Overpass (13:6 Spirit)

After the close first map, Spirit managed to stay calm and focused. Despite a fairly even first half, Spirit took full control after the side switch. Allowing Astralis to win only two rounds, Spirit confidently closed out their opponent’s map pick with a 13:6 scoreline.

MVP of the match

Once again, the best player of the match thanks to his outstanding individual performance was donk, who finished the series with an ADR of 106.7 and a 1.61 rating.

Spirit confirmed their status as favorites in this matchup and continue their run at the tournament with a win. Astralis had their chances to create an upset but ultimately lost the series in overtime. IEM Krakow Stage 2 runs from January 31 to February 3, with 16 teams competing for a spot in the playoffs.