‍

Ninjas In Pyjamas selected Overpass as the first map of BLAST Premier Spring, where a dominant start saw the Swedish line up go up 8-2, before Astralis managed to take control and end the half with five straight round wins 8-7. A close second half, which was spearheaded by especially dupreeh at a 1.42 rating and device at 1.27, equalized the score at 13-13, but ultimately resulted in NIP taking the map 13-16.

Astralis’ map pick, Inferno, once more had NIP take the lead early on, ending in a 9-6half. Starting the second half on the CT side, Astralis were looking dominant with six round wins in a row before the Swedish side managed to put a stop to them. Despite a close game from start to finish, Ninjas In Pyjamas managed to outperform Astralis an deliver the first loss of the season, 0-2

The matchup between Astralis and Ninjas In Pyjamas is a historically Swedish-favored, with the total score of now nine wins for NIP out of 14 matches but there is a chance for revenge should Astralis survive the lower bracket as they have done so many times before.

Astralis will face the loser of OG in the Group A Lower Round 1 on Friday, February 5 at 19:30 CET.