ESL Professional League Season 21 is effectively underway after the conclusion of its first Swiss group stage. Irrespective of your opinion on the brand new format, it has delivered tons of thrilling outcomes, with eight groups transferring on to fulfill the highest eight ranked groups in Stage 2 of the occasion.
On the final day of motion, the three ultimate spots of Stage 2 have been up for grabs – let’s have a look to see how the matches went!
TYLOO see off limp FlyQuest menace

Credit score: Helena Kristiansson | ESL
Proper now, FlyQuest are their very own worst enemy, providing up tons of errors that any good staff can reap the benefits of. On this event, that staff was TYLOO, who, after beginning ESL Professional League S21 in 2:0 trend, had fallen right down to the two:2 bracket and have been in grave hazard of crashing out. TYLOO have been capable of stave off the slightly limp menace from Aussie staff FlyQuest, in what’s a implausible end result for the staff.
The feelings of the event have been there for all to see, with TYLOO’s Jee giving a teary-eyed interview to finish the sequence. This Chinese language staff have gained over loads of followers at this CS2 match, and I, for one, would like to see them proceed to impress within the subsequent stage. It’ll be arduous, certain, however they’ve proven good basic Counter-Strike to this point – let’s see what they’ll obtain in the remainder of the occasion.
paiN Gaming reverse sweep younger Nemiga staff

Credit score: ESL
Afterwards, a younger and inexperienced Nemiga roster could be reverse-swept by paiN Gaming. There’s no disgrace in that – nobody anticipated something from Nemiga at this occasion, and falling on the 2:2 bracket to a great staff arguably surpasses expectations. It was surprising to see paiN right here, frankly – they’re in a little bit of a stoop proper now, with inconsistent performances throughout the board. For paiN, a minimum of they received over the road ultimately.
It was an enormous efficiency from dav1deuS that gave paiN Gaming the push to take this sequence, though nqz was equally essential to seeing it out. If the staff performs like this within the second Swiss group, they’ll battle to have any influence in any respect, and it’ll be down to large particular person performances to maintain them alive any additional.
FURIA punish M80 errors

Credit score: Helena Kristiansson | ESL
FURIA vs. M80 was one other sequence that ended 2:1 in favor of the Brazilians. On paper, it appears to be like as if not one of the maps have been notably shut, though that doesn’t fairly inform the entire story. On FURIA’s map wins, M80 continued to throw particular person rounds, that means they have been by no means fairly capable of collect momentum on this sequence. You might simply argue that M80 ought to have gained this one, however as soon as once more it’s a narrative of missed alternatives.
For FURIA, you possibly can level to the person brilliance of KSCERATO and skullz as the massive cause they gained this sequence. However once more, that doesn’t fairly inform the story, the place it was principally the likes of Swisher and slaxz- for M80 simply struggling to search out that influence.
ESL Professional League Season 21 returns on March seventh for the second Swiss group.