• Date: April 24, 2024
• Tournament: ESL Pro League S19 (LAN)
• Opponent: FaZe Clan
• Stage: Group A Upper Bracket Semi-final (Best of Three)
• Result: A convincing 2-0 victory (13-11 on Ancient, 13-9 on Nuke)

After securing a decisive 2-0 victory over FaZe Clan in the Group A upper bracket semi-final, our Main team has clinched a spot in the ESL Pro League S19 playoffs.

This matchup against Finn "karrigan" Andersen's squad marked our third clash in just two weeks. Having previously lost to FaZe in the semi-finals of IEM Chengdu 2024, the stage was perfectly set for an intense BO3 rematch in Malta.

With our newly appointed in-game leader, Nicolai "dev1ce" Reedtz, leading the way and the team in peak form, Wednesday night became the ideal moment for revenge.

Top Performers in the Upper Bracket Semi-final

• Jakob "jabbi" Nygaard: "Most kills (36)
• Robin "ropz" Kool: "Most damage (86.0)
• Alexander "br0" Bro: "Most assists (12)
• Nicolai "device" Reedtz: "Most AWP kills (16)
• Victor "Staehr" Staehr: "Most first kills (8), Best rating (1.20)

Astralis achieved a team rating of 1.10 compared to FaZe's 1.04.

Our guys secured 20 first kills against FaZe's 25, and we won 6 clutches compared to FaZe's 5.

A Masterclass T-side Performance

On Ancient, our map, dev1ce and company came out firing on all cylinders. Thanks to a masterclass and aggressive T-side performance, our team jumped to a commanding 9-1 lead.

However, a lackluster defensive effort allowed FaZe to claw their way back into the game, stringing together a seven-round win streak to briefly take the lead at 11-10.

Luckily, the Danes managed to strike back and effectively disrupt FaZe's momentum just in time, securing the map win with three critical plays in the final rounds.

This tightly contested 13-11 scoreline marked our third consecutive map win on Ancient against FaZe.

Significantly, Victor "Staehr" Staehr's swift 1vs3 clutch in a pre-plant situation on the T side was a highlight to remember, which you can rewatch in the video above.

• Jakob "jabbi" Nygaard arose as the top performer, notching the most kills (25) and achieving the highest rating (1.40).
• Meanwhile, David "frozen" Čerňanský delivered the most damage on Ancient (98.9) and earned the most first kills (6). 
• jabbi had the upper hand in head-to-head encounters against Frozen, with 7 kills to Frozen's 5.
• Our team executed 4 successful clutches, edging out FaZe's 3.

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Turning the Tides

FaZe quickly established dominance on Nuke, advancing to a 5-1 lead with two early clutches.

Despite the tough start, dev1ce and his teammates kept their composure and recovered, erasing the early deficit to level the score at 6-6 before halftime.

The momentum continued on the T-side, where our players pulled off six consecutive rounds, turning the tide and sealing a decisive 13-9 map win to close out the series and secure a playoff berth.

stavn was the standout player on Nuke, delivering another impressive individual performance at the ESL Pro League S19. 

• The 22-year-old rifler not only secured the most kills (23) but also dealt the most damage (119.9) and boasted the highest rating (1.65).
• Meanwhile, dev1ce topped the stats in AWP kills with 12, and Staehr recorded the most first kills (4).

What's Next

• A showdown with 3DMAX is up next in the Group A Upper Final, scheduled for Saturday, April 27, at 16:30 CEST
• The victor will advance directly to the quarter-finals
• Catch all the action live at Astliras.gg/watch