BLAST Groups: NIP qualify for Fall Finals

Ninjas in Pyjamas thrashed Vitality in the first Grand Final of BLAST Premier: Fall Groups 2023 to become the first team to advance to the Royal Arena. 

NIP got the series off to a strong start on their own map selection, Mirage, outplaying Vitality’s defense in the opening round to take the lead 3-0. The champions of the Paris Major were able to win round four to put an end to the bloodshed, but the team led by Hampus “hampus” Poser effectively repelled their attack in the subsequent rounds. After falling behind 1-5, Vitality picked up momentum and went on a flawless six-round streak thanks to Mathieu “⁠ZywOo⁠” Herbaut fearless performance.

THEY DO IT, @NIPCS wins 2-0 and are going to the Royal Arena 🥷🇸🇪#BLASTPremier pic.twitter.com/tPo4T3aE9V

— BLAST Premier 💥 (@BLASTPremier) July 19, 2023

 

After a few rounds of back-and-forth play, Vitality took an 8-7 advantage going into the second half of the match. The team was unable to maintain its lead, though, as a brilliant breakaway attempt managed by NIP’s Ludvig “Brollan” Brolin and Daniil “headtr1ck” Valitov completely changed the tides of the game. Despite Vitality’s relentless counterattacks, NIP was able to capture six rounds in a row to go up 13-9.

ZywOo again stood up for Vitality in a crucial moment, displaying courageous fragging abilities that helped the team tie the game 13-13. NIP won three straight rounds and defeated Vitality 16-13 as the rest of the team struggled to maintain the momentum created by the French player ZywOo⁠. Regardless of the result, the 22-year-old Awper stood out as the game’s top performance, finishing the map with a staggering 30 kills and a 1.55 HLTV rating.

.@Brollan was a thorn in the side of Team Vitality, what a win and what a performance from the Swede 🇸🇪 #BLASTPremier @Maersk pic.twitter.com/okxJNas4zp

— BLAST Premier 💥 (@BLASTPremier) July 19, 2023

Vitality picked Overpass to turn things around, and despite a few early hiccups, the team eventually found its foothold with an 8-7 lead at halftime. Lotan ‘Spinx’ Giladi continued to lead Vitality’s attack in the second half, helping the team extend its lead to 12-10 before NIP’s Brollan stormed in and closed the gap. While the Paris Major champions immediately retaliated with a stronger offensive play, Brollan maintained its composure and led NIP to a 16-14 victory with a total of 27 kills across the map, overshadowing Spinx’s 26-kill performance.

NIP moves to the Blast Premier Fall Finals with this victory, which is slated to take place from 22 to November 26 at Royal Arena Copenhagen. On the other side, Vitality is relegated to the Knockout Stage of the event where they take on the victor of the OG vs. BIG clash. Vitality has already secured a spot at Fall Finals after winning the BLAST Paris Major.

Header: Header: João Ferreira | PGL