Fnatic to take on Vitality in the finals of DreamHack Masters Malmo 2019

Cover Image Courtesy: DreamHack Counter-Strike | Thumbnail Image Courtesy: Team Vitality

The semifinal match-ups in Malmo were fantastic, leading to a grand finale between Fnatic and Vitality after the two dismiss Astralis and Na’Vi, respectively in the semifinals. After a long time, a finale is being held without the likes of Liquid or Astralis, and it is going to be mighty interesting.

Both the team have undergone a roster shuffle before the event, with Vitality benching Nathan ‘NBK’ Schmitt and signing Richard ‘Shox’ Papillon, while the Swedes went ahead and recruited Robin ‘flusha’ Ronnquist, while also loaning Maikil ‘Golden’ Selim from Cloud9. The two organizations seem to have settled in with their new rosters quite nicely, facing each other in the finale tonight.

Astralis Adieu

The Danes who recently lost to Evil Geniuses in the finals of ESL One: New York 2019 have once again reached to reach the top four but could not complete their journey as they fell to Fnatic in back-to-back games on Overpass and Nuke.

While Fnatic was in total control on their own map, Overpass, the fight for survival on Nuke was brutal. Astralis who had an edge over the Swedes on the map made it quite clear how good they were on the map after they came back from an ‘11-6’ deficit to take the match into overtime.

Giving KRIMZ a break, JW stepped it up, winning some crucial rounds for his side alongside Brollan, who kept pace. A lone standing warrior in the form of Device was not enough to hold back Fnatic, as Astralis buckled out of the tournament.

Not Today Na’Vi

After enjoying a dominating group stage, Na’Vi were not ready to handle a hot and heavy VItality. Blazing into the semis after a win against mousesports, the French organization were stunned on Nuke, as Na’Vi pushed them into a corner, hitting them hard while giving no space for a comeback.

Destroyed on their own map, Vitality returned the favour in full on Overpass, as they switched sides with Na’Vi, giving them a taste of their own medicine. Down to a decider on Dust 2, Na’Vi did try to hang on but Vitality’s prowess on the map proved to be a huge factor which worked against them.

ZywOo once again led from the front securing an overall rating (HLTV) of 1.34 as others tried to kept pace, pitching in every now and then to help their side to victory and a berth in the grand finale.

With this, the stage for the grand finals is all set as the Swedes take on the French in a best-of-three match-up. Let’s see if the home favourites can win it in their backyard or do Vitality finally pick up a trophy in a top-tier event.