Complexity and Na’Vi were expected to be the best teams in group D of ESL Pro League S19. But they were not guaranteed an easy spot in the playoffs of the tournament.
Complexity were going to face HEROIC, who are very strong at the moment, while Na’Vi were going to face BIG, whose roster proved to be capable of excellent results in the last 12 months. But, despite the challenges, both teams excelled in their first two matches and won.
Complexity’s Results
Playoff bound in Malta! pic.twitter.com/MoNtVqbErD
— Complexity ✭ (@Complexity) May 2, 2024
Complexity entered the tournament with a solid and battle-tested roster. This team is used to finishing in the top 12 at important events. They did this at the Copenhagen Major and also at IEM Katowice. So to see them securing a top 12 result is not a big surprise.
The only thing that’s surprising is that they did it after just two matches. Against Pera Esports, they struggled on both maps but won: 13 – 11 on Anubis and 13 – 9 on Vertigo. Floppy was amazing in this match, ending with a personal score of 37 – 26.
In the second match, Complexity were tasked with beating HEROIC. They lost the first map in a terrible way: 5 – 13 on Nuke. But on the next two maps, they proved to be highly skilled and properly trained. The scores were 13 – 11 on Vertigo and 13 – 7 on Anubis. This time, it was EliGE’s turn to shine.
Na’Vi’s Results
.@iMeCSGO today pic.twitter.com/OV6KLDCfQp
— NAVI (@natusvincere) May 2, 2024
Na’Vi had an easy opponent in the first match and won without any problems: 5 – 13 on Ancient and 6 – 13 on Mirage. B1t was the highest scorer but the rest of his teammates contributed a lot as well.
The first challenge of the tournament for Na’Vi was BIG. The score was 1 – 2. BIG won the first map 13 – 9 but then lost the next two 3 – 13 and 7 – 13. Na’Vi were in complete control on these maps and their best player overall ended up being iM.
These victories were no doubt useful for the Ukrainian team, but do not tell us very much about their current level. That’s because both of their opponents were relatively weak compared to the teams they will meet next. If Na’Vi want to win the tournament, they need to win their next match and then three other matches in the playoffs.
Another option for them would be to lose the next match but then win four consecutive matches in the playoffs.
Header: ESL
