IEM Cologne group stage preview and predictions

The play-in stage of IEM Cologne is over and with a single exception, everyone who was supposed to qualify for the group stage has successfully done so.

The second stage of the tournament features 16 teams and is scheduled to take place between July 7-10. The first stage was captivating to watch, but the second one will be phenomenal. Most of the 16 teams are world-class competitors and almost every match will be filled with great plays and memorable moments.

IEM Cologne play-in stage results

The play-in stage of IEM Cologne finished with a lot of predictable results. These are the teams that qualified for the group stage:

• Heroic
• Team Spirit
• Outsiders
• Movistar Riders
• Team Vitality
• Astralis
• 00 Nation
• MOUZ

The only surprise here was that Movistar Riders advanced while BIG, the winners of the recent Roobet Cup, were eliminated. Unfortunately for the German squad, they ran into two well-prepared opponents and just had a couple of bad days. They first lost against Outsiders and then against Astralis.

Groups preview

The second stage of IEM Cologne features two groups of eight teams each.

Group A

Group A is very tough, having no less than six teams that could realistically qualify. The participants in this group are the following:

• Natus Vincere
• MOUZ
• Heroic
• Ninjas in Pyjamas
• G2 Esports
• Movistar Riders
• Team Vitality
• ENCE

The three big favorites in this group are Natus Vincere, G2 Esports, and Vitality. But the other three strong competitors could easily steal their playoffs tickets.

The initial match-ups in this group are the following:

• Natus Vincere vs. MOUZ
• Heroic vs. NiP
• G2 vs. Riders
• Vitality vs. ENCE

The favorites to win these initial matches are Na’Vi, NiP, G2, and Vitality. Keep in mind that the format is double-elimination, which means that the losers will get a second chance in the lower bracket.

Group B

In Group B, the situation looks a bit more relaxed:

• FaZe Clan
• 00 Nation
• Team Spirit
• Team Liquid
• Cloud9
• Outsiders
• Astralis
• FURIA Esports

The favorites here are FaZe Clan, Cloud9, and Astralis. Three other teams that might do well are FURIA, Liquid, and 00 Nation. In many cases, the skill difference is small and the battle will be won by the competitor who manages to perform better under stress.

The initial match-ups in this group are the following:

• FaZe Clan vs. 00 Nation
• Team Spirit vs. Team Liquid
• Cloud9 vs. Outsiders
• Astralis vs. FURIA

The favorites are FaZe Clan, Team Liquid, Cloud9, and Astralis.

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