Hello, all CS:GO fans! On August 5, the Semifinals of the Intel Extreme Masters Cologne 2023 took place. Today, we will look at two matches and find out which teams advanced to the Grand Final. So, let’s get started promptly. In article you will find: The last hurdle before the final – the four strongest teams clashed in battles to determine who ultimately became the finalist of the last IEM Cologne in CS:GO. The two teams that lost left the competition, but they earned 1,200 Blast Premier points and $80,000 per team. Now, let’s move on to the overview of the Semifinal and find out which two teams will be competing against each other in the Grand Final. First, let’s take a look at the match between Vitality and ENCE. Here’s the list of map selections and bans: With a Grand-finals spot on the line, @ENCE and @TeamVitality will face eachother in a best-of-three It’s not surprising that Vitality picked Mirage, as ENCE banned Inferno, on which Vitality has shown good performance in the past three months. Mirage is ranked three among the signature maps for Vitality, so it’s quite logical to choose it, especially knowing that ENCE doesn’t favor this map. The first half went fairly well for Vitality. Playing on the T side, they managed to secure nine rounds, which is impressive on the offensive side. However, after switching sides, the French team lost the first three rounds and realized that ENCE was strong in the attack. Despite their efforts to fend off the opponent’s attacks, Vitality took several rounds, but ENCE proved stronger and secured the victory on this map with a 16:14 score. .@ENCE convert @TeamVitality's map pick of Mirage and take the lead in the series The following map was Nuke, picked by ENCE. It’s curious why they opted for this map, considering that Vitality also performs well. Both teams have an impressive win rate of over 90% in the last three months. Now, let’s dive into the map. The first three rounds favored Vitality, who started on the CT side. However, with a solid loss bonus, ENCE managed to secure the necessary weaponry and make a comeback, albeit temporarily. Vitality regained control and continued to dominate the map, finishing the first half with an 11:4 score. After switching sides, much like the previous time, heavily favored Vitality. Playing as terrorists, they tried to secure bomb plants, but most of their efforts were unsuccessful. The ENCE team swiftly caught up with the French squad and nearly leveled the score at 13:14 in favor of Vitality. Only two rounds separated them from overtime, yet Vitality managed to press their opponent and secure a hard-fought victory with a 16:14 score. .@TeamVitality fight back on Nuke and even out the score The decider map wasn’t the best for either team, as both teams had an average win rate of around 50% on this map, making it quite intriguing to observe. In the first half, Vitality again played on the CT side, securing the initial three rounds, just like on the previous map. However, in the fourth round, ENCE managed to break through, boosting their economy and not only turning the game around but also giving themselves an advantage in rounds. ENCE comfortably closed out the first half with a 10:5 score. After several lost rounds, Vitality seemed to have lost hope of victory despite the score being unfavorable. They secured the first pistol round in the second half, seemingly lifting the team’s spirits. However, ENCE quickly responded, claiming five consecutive rounds again and closing the map with a 16:7 score. .@NertzCS knew what was coming!#IEM pic.twitter.com/McwlvyzVQc Now let’s move on to the next match between the clear contender, G2, and the Astralis that have made significant changes in the roster. However, even with the changes in the Astralis roster, they have been showing incredible results and defeated Heroic in the previous match, who were also the favorites. Let’s see how this match unfolded. Here’s the list of map selections and bans: Second Semi-final is about to start ⌛️ Usually, Astralis played on their signature maps: Ancient, Vertigo, and Overpass. However, two of them were banned. The team hoped to win on Ancient, as G2 would definitely be stronger on the other maps. Winning the first map would open up the opportunity to play two maps and try to win it. The entire map was highly intense, transitioning back and forth between the two teams. Evidently, the Astralis team was well-prepared, but a few mistakes in the first half played a cruel joke on them. In the first half, Astralis was trailing with a 10:5 score. Switching sides in the second half, Astralis managed to rally and narrow the gap, bringing the score to 11:11. However, G2 secured the next five rounds and didn’t leave any chance for Astralis to win. .@G2CSGO strike first on @AstralisCS' map pick of Ancient After losing the previous map, Astralis felt demoralized since it was the only map where they had a clear advantage over their opponent. Inferno is G2’s signature map, and they have played numerous games on it in the last three months, with a win rate of over 70%. Therefore, the majority of experts predicted a 2:0 victory for G2. The first half started sharply in favor of G2, who secured five consecutive rounds and established dominance on the map. They executed swift and aggressive attacks on the bomb sites. However, Astralis managed to adapt to their opponent’s gameplay and salvaged six rounds for themselves in the first half, which, while not excellent, was something to build upon. Switching sides, Astralis took on the role of terrorists, but it didn’t provide the advantage they needed. They consistently lost rounds to G2, who seemed perfectly in tune with the game, precisely predicting their opponent’s moves. It resulted in a swift conclusion to the match, with G2 winning comfortably, 16-9. A first grand final for @G2CSGO since Katowice 👀#IEM pic.twitter.com/I63hNSkyNo Well, now it’s time for the most exciting part – highlights! Let’s start with the match between Team Vitality and ENCE. The backstab from @flameZcsgo 🔪#IEM pic.twitter.com/PY3XDDA7Uq MIRAGE IS HIS MAP @nertzCS#IEM pic.twitter.com/1kZvRC3eqC IT HAS TO BE @snappiCSGO OMG 😱#IEM pic.twitter.com/aDGOPVEUCU ALWAYS check for @Vitality_apEX hiding in the corner #IEM pic.twitter.com/wjPCLXdpNN IMAGINE. #IEM pic.twitter.com/xTc2Fe3eke .@SpinxCSGO STICKS IT FOR THE 1v3 CLUTCH 🔥#IEM pic.twitter.com/Az1234c0ee You can't kill @madennCS if maden kills maden 🧠#IEM pic.twitter.com/R2cTriyKP8 And now we’ll move on to the highlights of the G2 Esports vs Astralis match. .@StaehrCS goes on the hunt for the ACE ♠️#IEM pic.twitter.com/owObDtq8VT BIG BENJAMIN RE-ENERGIZES @AstralisCS @blameFFFFF#IEM pic.twitter.com/qjidDcdZ37 .@G2CSGO seem UNSTOPPABLE on Inferno Right place, right time, as @G2m0NESY mows down FOUR 💪#IEM pic.twitter.com/75yWcpnEIO The moment @g2esports made it to the #IEM Cologne 2023 GRAND FINAL 😤#IEM pic.twitter.com/tHng3lcqXa Finally, the finalists of Intel Extreme Masters Cologne 2023 have been determined, and soon we will be witnessing the Grand Final of the last IEM Cologne in CS:GO. In the final, truly strong teams of this season will clash, promising us an excellent game, which we will discuss in the upcoming article. The winner will receive $400,000 and 3,000 Blast Premier points. So root for your favorite team and read our blog!Advertisement
Semifinals of IEM Cologne 2023
Team Vitality vs ENCE
We start on Mirage 🌆
#IEM pic.twitter.com/cEDpacHSbbMirage
Only one map away from the #IEM Cologne Grand final. Can they close it on Nuke? pic.twitter.com/mYTQb14mgrNuke
Who will become the #IEM Cologne Grand finalist? It will be decided on Vertigo pic.twitter.com/mfdsYK4FURVertigo
G2 Esports vs Astralis
With @AstralisCS sporting seven-map win-streak on Ancient and @G2CSGO winning 12 out of 18 of their recent Infernos, we might get to enjoy another decider 🔥#IEM pic.twitter.com/QILFFEsYhfAncient
Can Astralis take Inferno and force the third?
#IEM pic.twitter.com/1itRmK8ZaGInferno
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Semifinals Highlights
A 2v5 from @G2huNter & @jks_CS 😳#IEM pic.twitter.com/tqVAC9N8mwWrapping Up The IEM Cologne 2023 Semifinals