MIBR have advanced to the ESL Pro League Season 20 quarter-finals after a thrilling 2-1 (9-13, 13-10, 13-5) victory over Heroic in the second round of the playoffs.
Despite losing the first map on Mirage, MIBR rallied with a hard-fought win on Anubis and then dominated on Nuke to secure the series.
This marks the first time since Season 15 that a Brazilian Counter-Strike team has reached the quarter-finals of the Pro League.
.@MIBR pull off an incredible reverse sweep with a dominant win on Nuke over @heroicgg! ??
Mirage 13-9
Anubis 10-13
Nuke 5-13 pic.twitter.com/Wpik3lkNmG— ESL Counter-Strike (@ESLCS) September 18, 2024
MIBR, who have only lost one match in Malta so far, will now face the in-form M80 in their first-ever meeting.
Heroic started strong on Mirage, jumping to a 9-3 lead on the terrorist side.
MIBR fought back after the side switch but ultimately faltered in the 21st round, losing to only two guns.
Anubis played out similarly, with Heroic leading much of the first half before MIBR’s resurgence after the break.
Despite a fumble in a 2v1 situation, MIBR kept their composure and closed out the game.
The momentum carried into Nuke, where Felipe “?insani?” Yuji’s standout performance led MIBR to a commanding 9-3 lead.
Though Heroic won the second pistol round, their comeback was stopped by MIBR’s force-buy win.
.@eternalfiregg reverse sweep @1mongolz in order to reach the #ESLProLeague XX Quarterfinals ????
13-16 Mirage
13-9 Anubis
13-11 Inferno pic.twitter.com/rmP4dVO6xi— ESL Counter-Strike (@ESLCS) September 18, 2024
Eternal Fire also booked their spot in the quarter-finals after a grueling three-map series against The MongolZ.
Mirage saw both teams in near parity, with The MongolZ taking the map in overtime.
However, Eternal Fire bounced back on Anubis, driven by star rifler Ismailcan “?XANTARES?” D?rtkarde?, before taking Inferno in a hard-fought 13-11 victory.
The MongolZ will now regroup for IEM Rio, while Eternal Fire prepare to face Vitality.
.@Team__Spirit speedrun their way past @imperialesports on Dust to win the series 2:0 and reach the quarters at #ESLProLeague S20
16-13 Nuke
13-3 Dust 2 pic.twitter.com/Jlzh5w96wO— ESL Counter-Strike (@ESLCS) September 18, 2024
In other action, Spirit secured a quarter-final berth after defeating Imperial 2-0 in a tense series (Nuke 16-13, Dust2 13-3).
Spirit’s star, Danil “?donk?” Kryshkovets, played a key role in the victory, despite some struggles on Nuke.
Imperial fought valiantly, especially on Nuke, but were ultimately outclassed on Dust2.
Spirit will now face Natus Vincere in the top-eight stage.
Not a problem for @TeamLiquidCS, they take out their NA brothers in @ComplexityCS to reach the top 8 at #ESLProLeague S20
13-2 Nuke
13-7 Anubis pic.twitter.com/t2cNOVSeCv— ESL Counter-Strike (@ESLCS) September 18, 2024
Liquid also cruised into the quarter-finals after dismantling Complexity 2-0 (13-2 Nuke, 13-7 Anubis).
Complexity, who looked solid against FaZe, were overwhelmed by Liquid’s preparation and individual prowess, particularly from Roland “?ultimate?” Tomkowiak and Mareks “?YEKINDAR?” Ga?inskis.
Liquid’s flawless defence on Nuke and clutch performances on Anubis sealed their victory, setting up a quarter-final clash with G2 Esports.
Friday’s quarter-final matches
- M80 ($2.00) vs MIBR ($1.72) @ 4:15pm CEST
- Team Vitality ($1.30) vs Eternal Fire ($3.40) @ 7:30pm CEST