Liquid defeat mousesports in two maps; advance to New Champions Stage

Liquid won two maps against MOUZ, which included several overtimes, Mirage (19-17) and Dust2 (22-20), to move on to the Major's playoffs.

Liquid started out taking the lead on Mirage, going up 2-0 and expected to win a third against an eco, but no-armor Desert Eagle buy by Robin "⁠ropz⁠" Kool paid off as the Estonian got an ace and defused the bomb in time to swing the momentum early on in his team’s favor. Liquid were able to get another round in, 2-3, to keep the lead, but then lost to another pistol buy from MOUZ, prompting them to take their first timeout of the match. Both teams then stayed neck and neck, although Liquid prevailed with a 9-6 lead before switching sides.

MOUZ made a quick commitment to B on the second pistol round, winning it after a bomb defense to keep the map close. A big clutch by Russel "⁠Twistzz⁠" Van Dulken with the CZ75 denied mouz a second round. The Americans then displayed their superiority on the CT side, winning five rounds in a row to get ahead 14-7. MOUZ won another and followed it up with four frags by Finn "⁠karrigan⁠" Andersen on a B hit before hitting double digits. Things started to get twisted for Liquid who lost their economic advantage as MOUZ closed in on the scoreboard. Liquid managed to hit match point, but were then equalized to take map one to overtime.

The two first rounds on defense went to Liquid, but a big round by ropz getting three kills, the last two thanks to a well-timed flash by karrigan, made it 16-17. Liquid managed to take match point going into the last round, and following a successful B hit were able to seal the deal on Mirage to take the series lead, 19-17.

MOUZ took the early lead on their map pick, Dust2, starting on the CT side. After going 0-3, a B play by Liquid with weapons now in their hands got them their first round on the board. The European combine started to run away with it, 5-2 and with the economy on their side, but Twistzz and Nick "⁠nitr0⁠" Cannella managed to win a 2vs2 on B to keep it close. Despite MOUZ looking in control early on, the half evened out as it ended 8-7 in favor of the Europeans.

Liquid tied it up after stopping an A play in the second pistol round, but both teams quickly started trading rounds back and forth, making it to an even 12-12 before Özgür "⁠woxic⁠" Eker tipped the scales in his team’s favor with a four-kill 1vs2 clutch round to get his team ahead and force Liquid into an eco. Closing out the next round on B, MOUZ increased their lead to 14-12. Twistzz beat woxic in a 1vs1 after Liquid retook B to stay in the game the following round. A big round by David "⁠frozen⁠" Čerňanský with three kills including a 1vs1 afterplant on A against nitr0 got MOUZ on match point, but they were unable to follow up as Liquid got a clean round, and then hitting 15 to tie it up and push it to overtime.

Liquid then took the lead, but it was MOUZ marked the pace, hitting map point and being two seconds away from winning the round as karrigan fell to Jonathan "⁠EliGE⁠" Jablonowski outside of B with the bomb not yet planted by the attacking North American side. Liquid then got two rounds in the first half of the second overtime, but MOUZ won a crucial round to give them a fighting chance in the second half. The two teams then traded rounds, with Liquid taking the lead into the last round where they managed to retake an A afterplant to secure the map and match, 22-20.