R6 EUL: BDS Lose to NaVi!

The two frontrunners of recent weeks had finally entered the server together. This match definitely didn’t disappoint, and we could even see these teams reach overtime. At the end, Natus Vincere narrowly set themselves on top of the Frenchmen.

The fifth day kicked off with Cowana and Empire. There, the Brits managed to secure a quick 7-1, whereas Empire had to record their fourth defeat overall. Rogue were just as fast going up against Secret. But then, finally, we got to witness BDS and NaVi duelling it out, which brought back all the broadcast time lost on the first two games.

BDS VS NAVI

Prior to the match, it was almost impossible to pinpoint a clear favorite. It’s true that BDS pretty much swept most tournaments last year, but Natus Vincere have been a wholly different team since their roster change. Both have confidently set themselves on top of all opposition within the European League.

The two teams kicked off with a 3-3 half. In the second half, they continued to trade rounds, until they arrived at overtime. Once there, NaVi managed to secure the two round points required. Byron “Blurr” Murray, who delivered a 3k in the last round, became match MVP with a total of 17 kills.

So what does this mean for the two frontrunners of EUL? BDS have now gotten the memo that they can’t underestimate their opponents. They’re simply not working with the same NaVi that they used to beat in EUL Season 1 anymore. But one single map victory does not mean that Blurr and his men will be able to beat the French superteam in a Best-of-Three series – let alone a Bo5 Grand Finals!

Vitality ended their Day 5 campaign with an overtime victory over VP and G2 managed to sweep TrainHard for a 7-3 finish. The teams were heading into the sixth match day next.

THE SIXTH MATCH DAY

Virtus.pro kicked things off with a quick 7-3 win over TrainHard eSport. This was to be expected, considering how much lifting Andrey “m1loN” Mironov had done for the team in recent weeks. The big surprise of the evening, however, was seeing Empire achieve an overtime victory over G2 Esports. BDS managed to keep themselves on the top of the leaderboard with a quick 7-3 over Rogue. Since NaVi had to suffer an overtime loss, the margin between these two teams has grown to two points now.

Both frontrunners are being followed closely by a team you wouldn’t expect. Cowana Gaming sit on top of four victories – more than Natus Vincere even – and hold a comfortable third place. They have placed ahead of G2 Esports, but they’re facing Virtus.pro, BDS, and Vitality next. So their continued presence in the Top 4 is by no means guaranteed.

Not a lot has changed in comparison to last week. Stéphane “Shaiiko” Lebleu and Ben “CTZN” McMillan continue to lead the scoreboard. Blurr is close by, miloN is the only VP player to really perform until now. Nathan “Grizzly” Harding has made a dash for the Top 10, which is not that much of a surprise when taking into account the rise of Cowana Gaming.

WHAT CAN WE EXPECT FROM MATCH DAY 7?

After Empire have already won over G2, they absolutely need to make points against TrainHard eSport. Otherwise, they won’t have any chance left to actually climb to a better placement. If Cowana really want to become one of the better performers of the league, they have to show up versus Virtus.pro and continue to build up a point different to the other teams. G2 will square off with BDS, which means that they will likely experience a stand-still in the rankings. Natus Vincere are facing an easier opponent in the form of Rogue, but Maurice “AceeZ” Erkelenz and his men have built up a reputation for upsets in the last few weeks. Vitality have already completed most of their dangerous matches. Going up against Team Secret, they should be getting a breather and three easy points.