IEM Winter Semifinals Predictions

IEM Winter is entering the Semifinals and each of the remaining 4 teams is eager to advance to the Grand Final. But it will not be easy. Both matches look tough but that doesn’t mean there are no favorites.

IEM Winter Semifinal 1: Virtus.pro versus Vitality

Virtus.pro is playing really well at the moment but that alone won’t cut it against Vitality. The French crew is ranked 2^nd and its last 2 months have been extremely good: 2^nd place at EPL S14, 1^st – 3^rd place at BLAST Premier: Fall Groups 2021, 3^rd place at IEM Fall, 5^th – 8^th place at PGL Major Stockholm, and 2^nd place at BLAST Premier Fall Finals. These results, combined with the fact that ZywOo is the winner of the last two CS:GO Player of the Year awards, clearly give the French a big advantage against their CIS opponent.

Vitality came close to winning Group A and only lost because G2 is phenomenal. VP may have won group B, but most of its opponents were quite weak. So it’s hard to give them credit for their success or to regard it as relevant for this upcoming match. Furthermore, the team’s overall form prior to IEM Winter was abysmal. So it’s very hard to be optimistic about its chances against such a strong opponent. Most likely, Vitality will win. Even if it takes them 3 maps to do it.

IEM Winter Semifinal 2: G2 Esports versus NiP

G2 Esports and NiP were part of the same group. G2 finished 1^st while NiP struggled to finish 3^rd. This pretty much sums up the analysis for this match. But just to give you more valuable information in case you want to place a bet on it, keep in mind that G2 is currently ranked 3^rd while NiP is only ranked 7^th. On top of that, NiP’s recent roster change has made its playstyle very volatile and brittle under pressure. And NiKo’s team is proficient at putting pressure on its opponents.

The previous encounter between G2 and NiP took place at PGL Major Stockholm. The French squad easily won that match with a score of 2 – 0: 16 – 11 on Inferno and 16 – 11 on Mirage. And keep in mind, NiP played that match with an intact roster. Since then, the organization has decided to make an important change but has not yet demonstrated its value.

The newest player, es3tag, still needs time to fully understand NiP’s system. And the core of NiP needs more time to learn more about him. Meanwhile, CS:GO events like IEM Winter are taking place and you can’t delay them just because you’re not ready yet.

G2 seems perfectly positioned to dismantle NiP in this match. The most likely outcome is a quick 2 – 0. This tournament may not have a huge prize pool, but it’s still an S-tier event and NiKo hasn’t won a single important trophy in 2021. With Na’Vi missing, he’s probably more motivated than ever to claim the title here. Frankly, it’s his best chance of the season.

 

Photo credit: IEM|Helena-Kristiansson