Astralis and FunPlus Phoenix will meet in the framework of IEM Summer 2021. I am sure there is some intrigue in this match, since the Danish team is clearly not in their best shape right now. At the same time, I would like to note in advance that everything will be decided on the specific map on which the teams agree to play.
Astralis shape
The fifth team in the world rankings took the sixth place in the FLASHPOINT 3. Moreover, the Danes started confidently in the championship, winning two matches with a score of 2: 0. However, the team somehow unexpectedly failed the rest of the tournament, winning only one map in three matches. It is this moment that I consider to be a turning point, clearly indicating the problems in Astralis. And something tells me that the Danes won't really change anything in a couple of days.
Recent Astralis results:
- Victory over OG with a score of 2: 0.
- Victory over DBL PONEY with a score of 2: 0.
- Defeat against mousesports with a score of 0: 2.
- Defeat against Heroic with a score of 0: 2.
- Lost to BIG with a score of 1: 2.
Best Astralis Cards:
- Dust 2 - 60% wins.
- Vertigo - 57% wins.
- Nuke - 56% wins.
- Inferno - 50% wins.
I believe that the Danes will abandon Mirage, Overpass and Ancient. However, I would not say that Astralis is much stronger on Vertigo, Nuke and Inferno.
FunPlus Phoenix Shape
The 17th team in the world ranking at FLASHPOINT 3 performed slightly worse than the Danes, but clearly played at their level. However, do not forget that the team easily closed HYENAS and Complexity, tormenting only with Sprout. Another thing is that FunPlus Phoenix had very equal matches with Vitality and NiP, where everything was decided on a subtle basis. Therefore, it seems to me that this team will still declare itself.
Recent FunPlus Phoenix results:
- Victory over HYENAS with a score of 2: 0.
- Defeat to NiP with a score of 0: 2.
- Defeat against Vitality with a score of 1: 2.
- Victory over Complexity with a score of 2: 0.
- Win over Sprout with a score of 2: 1.
Best FunPlus Phoenix Cards:
- Vertigo - 67% wins.
- Inferno - 58% wins.
- Nuke - 57% wins.
- Dust 2 - 50% wins.
I think that the team should give up Overpass, Dust 2, Mirage and Ancient, while on other maps it makes sense to fight.
Meeting statistics Astralis - FunPlus Phoenix
During the last season, the teams held three meetings:
- Astralis' victory at ESL Pro League Season 11 Europe with a score of 2: 0.
- Astralis win at DreamHack Open Fall 2020 with a score of 2: 0.
- FunPlus Phoenix 2: 1 victory in DreamHack Masters Winter 2020 Europe.
However, there were no specific BO1s between the teams.
Prediction for the match Astralis - FunPlus Phoenix
I think if Nuke or Inferno happens in this match, it will be very difficult for the Danes. In this regard, I am sure that it is worth taking a good coefficient, since FunPlus Phoenix does not look like a weak team. At the same time, we see that the Danes are in bad shape, and they can be broken psychologically, pulling out round after round. Therefore, here I propose to bet on the victory of the FunPlus Phoenix team.
