IEM Cologne Day 2 Recap: 2 More Through!

Welcome to the exhilarating recap of Day 2 at IEM Cologne 2023, where the world's finest Counter-Strike: Global Offensive teams clashed in a breathtaking display of skill and strategy. From intense firefights to jaw-dropping clutches, Day 2 proved to be a rollercoaster of emotions.

Upper Bracket Round 2:

Apeks vs Astralis:

In a tense series, Astralis outplayed Apeks, securing a 2-1 victory to advance to the Group Stage.

On Anubis, Astralis showcased a solid T-side and dominant CT-side, securing a 16-10 win.

Apeks responded by impressively winning Anubis 16-10, with an almost flawless T-side.

Ancient proved to be a nail-biting affair, with both teams closely matched. Apeks gained an early advantage on their T-side, reaching Map Point, but Astralis rallied with a remarkable 4-round win streak on their T-side to force Overtime. From there, Astralis displayed complete dominance, sealing the map 19-16 and clinching the series.

Monte vs Furia:

Monte secured the final Group Stage spot from the Upper bracket with a hard-fought 2-1 victory against Furia.

While Furia had a strong start on Mirage with an 8-7 lead at halftime, Monte's explosive second-half performance led to a 16-13 comeback win.

Furia dominated on Overpass, triumphing with a decisive 16-5 score.

Undeterred, Monte retaliated on Ancient, impressively securing a 16-7 win by showcasing their strong CT-side and near-perfect T-side. With this outstanding display of skill and determination, Monte secured their place in the Group Stage, leaving a mark of their competitive prowess at IEM Cologne.

Image Source: ESL

Lower Bracket Round 1:

The losers’ side of the bracket is filled with heartbreak, as the dreams and aspirations of many are cut short.

The Mongolz vs Into the Breach:

Into the Breach faced the first elimination of the day as they suffered a 2-0 defeat against the Mongolz in the series.

On Mirage, the Mongolz showcased a dominant performance with a strong T-side, allowing Into the Breach to secure only 3 rounds by the end of the first half. Despite ITB finding some momentum, the Mongolz reached Map Point and ultimately closed out the map with a 16-8 score.

The trend continued on Ancient, where the Mongolz started on the CT-side and limited ITB to 3 rounds in the first half again. Although ITB showed some resistance in the second half, the Mongolz sealed the map 16-8, securing their victory in convincing fashion.

Complexity vs OG:

OG handed EG a harsh elimination as they secured a convincing 2-0 victory in the series. Complexity displayed a decent start on Mirage, leading 8-7 at halftime. Nevertheless, OG's exceptional CT-side performance allowed them to regain control, conceding only 3 rounds to Complexity and securing a 16-11 map win.

On Overpass, OG dominated the CT-side, limiting Complexity to just 4 rounds in the first half, which ended 11-4. Complexity fought back with a strong CT-side in the second half, but OG's lead proved insurmountable, closing the map 16-12 and securing their triumph in the series.

BIG vs Team Liquid:

Team Liquid survived elimination, securing a thrilling 2-1 victory over BIG in a closely contested three-map series.

On Vertigo, both teams remained evenly matched with an 8-7 score in favor of Team Liquid at halftime. Liquid's superior CT-side performance helped them close out the map 16-13, despite BIG's attempts to build momentum.

The tides turned on Mirage, with BIG claiming a hard-fought victory in overtime. Although Team Liquid initially took the lead at 14-8, BIG's resilient 7-round win streak pushed the map into overtime, where they triumphed 19-17.

However, Team Liquid dominated Overpass with a strong CT-side, sealing the map 16-9 and sending BIG home from IEM Cologne 2023.

Imperial Esports vs Grayhound Gaming:

Greyhound Gaming faced elimination as Imperial Esports claimed a 2-1 victory in the series, advancing to the next round at IEM Cologne 2023.

Imperial dominated Inferno with an impressive CT-side, allowing Greyhound to secure only 5 rounds, leading to a 10-5 halftime score. They flawlessly closed out the map with a 16-5 win in the second half.

Greyhound retaliated on Mirage, trading rounds evenly with Imperial until the very end. Where they secured a tense 16-14 victory at round 30.

However, Imperial had a firm grip on Nuke, showcasing a spectacular CT-side and ending the first half 13-2, eventually securing the map 16-8 despite Greyhound's efforts in the second half.

Up Ahead:

As the first round of eliminations come to a close, the winning teams of the Lower Bracket will face off against the losing teams of the Upper Bracket Round 2 in the Lower Bracket Round 2. The winners of these matches will qualify to the Group Stage of IEM Cologne 2023. While the losers will be eliminated.

Image Source: ESL

Meanwhile, the four qualified teams from the Play-in stage have already been put into the groups.

Image Source: ESL

Image Source: ESL