What to expect from Liquid v. Spirit

Let's be very honest about the situations here, neither Liquid nor Spirit should be in the lower bracket right now fighting for survival. Upsets against Rare Atom and FORZE were not in the card and this matchup honestly could have been for the seeding after both teams qualified for playoffs already. Liquid losing, as we have already beat to death, was a historic loss, while Spirit likely just got unlucky against FORZE. Regardless, both teams are now stuck in a tough position where the winner will likely play Natus Vincere for a final shot a qualification.

Liquid Luck

Well, we know from an interview yesterday with Mareks "YEKINDAR" Gaļinskis that Liquid did not have the best preparation for this event, what with the 8 AM, 130 ping practice against EU teams or the three scrims a day against lower-quality North American sides. Really not the best for a team with high ambitions like Liquid. But a strong Katowice showing and Josh "oSee" Ohm's inconsistency slightly smoothing out are good signs for the North Americans as they look to make qualification.

• oSee's bounce-back game against ATK shows his ability and strong mental

• Liquid always start slow, maybe just shaking off the cobwebs

• EliGE needs to start stepping up more, 2nd lowest performer so far

• YEKINDAR is dragging this team kicking and screaming to more wins, he needs some help

Don't get Spirited Away

Spirit are a good team, in fact they are a fantastic team. They've consistently surprised on the international stage so much that it shouldn't be a surprise. When Abdulkhalik "degster" Gasanov left, everyone thought it would cripple the squad, but Ighor "w0nderful" Zhdanov stepped up beautifully to replace him. However, Spirit have struggled so far this year with tough finishes in Katowice and CCT not helping show their former dominance. Despite all this, Leonid "chopper" Vishnyakov's squad is a force to be reckoned with.

• Patsi is playing out of his mind with a 1.24 Rating

• With a 71.9% success on opening kills, Patsi literally can't be stopped

• chopper's flashes are decent with 1.89 avg seconds flashed

Previous Matchups

There is something of a mini-rivalry happening between both teams, with Liquid and Spirit finding themselves matched up at crucial moments throughout the year. Spirit kicked Liquid down to the lower bracket at IEM Cologne 2022 and knocked them out of the Major at IEM Rio 2022. Liquid finally got their revenge at IEM Katowice 2023, but it's not always been so easy. Expect this matchup to be testy, especially given the hot hands of some of these players. Each side needs their stars to shine through and expect it to be a bloodbath.

Likely Vetoes

The vetoes here are going to be interesting. Both sides like Overpass, but Liquid, well, had some trouble on it to open up the event. Maybe they shy away. Here is what we think the picks are going to be.

• Spirit should ban Inferno, permaban

• Liquid will ban Vertigo, even though I think they should float it since Spirit also play it

• Spirit will pick Anubis

• Liquid will pick Overpass

• Decider could potentially be Mirage

Extras

Like we said before, this is somewhat of a grudge match as both sides have played one another in crucial matches throughout the last year and a half. Expect to see a lot of antics and high powered plays. While it would be nice to see some shittalking, I doubt that really comes through. HLTV users slightly favor Spirit in this matchup with 54% believing they will win.