AVANGAR move into second; ENCE secure first win

AVANGAR and ENCE are still in contention for a spot in the grand final of BLAST Pro Series Moscow after defeating MIBR and Ninjas in Pyjamas, respectively, in the fourth round of matches.

MIBR took some time to get into the game against AVANGAR and struggled to find any breaches in the water-tight Kazakhstani defense. Five rounds into the game, only two Brazilian players had frags on the board as AVANGAR seemed to be in cruise control, with the scoreline blooming to a 7-0 advantage for the Major runners-up.

MIBR brought that dry spell to an end in the eighth round off the back of two Desert Eagle kills by Vito "⁠kNgV-⁠" Giuseppe, who would also prove crucial in the following round. The Brazilians began to chip away at the gap before AVANGAR regained control of the game to close out the half with a commanding 10-5 lead.

Now playing on the Terrorist side, AVANGAR further added to their lead with a fast B push in the pistol round. After getting their economy back in order, MIBR still put together a few rounds, but there was no stopping AVANGAR, who cruised to a convincing victory with a sensational performance by Timur "⁠buster⁠" Tulepov.

After two draws and one defeat from their opening matches, ENCE finally managed to get a win on the board, which leaves them in the race for a spot in the final - though they will have to fend off the threat of AVANGAR in the final round. The Finnish team enjoyed a flying start to the game as they raced to a 6-1 lead, but they lost some steam as the game wore on, taking just a three-round advantage into the break.

ENCE refused to ease off the gas after the break and further extended their lead with a strong defense. The Ninjas mustered just two rounds before losing the map, leaving their hopes of reaching the final hanging by a thread as they prepare to face Natus Vincere.