IEM Katowice reaches playoffs

21-2-2021 23:51

We are down to the last six teams in the prestigious competition, with the playoffs set to start only on Friday.

The four-day group stage came to a close on Sunday evening, with Liquid and Spirit booking the first spots in the semi-finals after winning their respective groups.

The first round of the playoffs, featuring the runners-up and the third-placed finishers, will begin with a CIS derby between Natus Vincere and Gambit, two teams who last faced each other in the quarter-finals of IEM New York, four months ago. The winner of this clash will go on to face the red-hot Spirit, who still haven't faced CIS opposition since they began their campaign in the tournament.

IEM Katowice will resume on Friday

Later that day, Astralis and Virtus.pro will face off in a rematch of the StarLadder Major Final, when the CIS team still played under AVANGAR. The winner of that match will lock horns with Liquid, who haven't faced Virtus.pro since last year's IEM Katowice and Astralis since the IEM Global Challenge grand final.

In case Liquid are pitted against Astralis, they will be relishing the chance to finally end a nine-match losing streak against the Danes that began at the Berlin Major.

Below you can find the complete schedule for the playoffs:

Friday, February 26

15:00 Natus Vincere vs. Gambit
18:30 Astralis vs. Virtus.pro

Saturday, February 27

15:00 Spirit vs. Natus Vincere/ Gambit
18:30 Liquid vs. Astralis/ Virtus.pro

Sunday, February 28

15:00 Grand final (BO5)

EZ for GOATstralis

2021-02-21 23:51

1 reply

Astralis got 16-1’d by spirit, they aren’t winning this tournament 😂

2021-02-22 02:14

Ez4Fallen

nice

EZ FOR CIS

2021-02-21 23:52

ez4navi

CIS! CIS! CIS!

LETS GO LIQUID

cis derby inc

nice just give Astralis all the crap opponents to get ez finals

2 replies

vp+liquid>gambit+spirit

2021-02-22 00:19

You know all the teams that got to playoffs had to pass the group stage, right? There are no crap opponents here. Have some respect.

2021-02-22 12:08

CIS already in grand finals 100%

VP is making to the finals

2021-02-21 23:53

fantasy when

let's go liquid

USA! USA! USA!

2021-02-21 23:54

Astralis vp going to be nice and if they astralis win then liquid astralis going to be even nicer

go liquid

2021-02-21 23:55

CIS era for real, 4/6 teams in playoffs being CIS is bonkers

2021-02-21 23:56

First fallen Title with Liquid

dont get too excited lmao

2021-02-22 00:04

It is possible, though.

2021-02-22 10:09

Ez 4 the fallen teacher..

2021-02-21 23:58

congratz spirit with this trophy, congratz navi with 5-6 place, nt for them

2021-02-22 00:03

CIS clash

Why the hell are the playoffs not till Friday? Sure a break is fine, but 5 days seems a little too long.

2021-02-22 00:09

3 replies

new esl feature for this year so dumb

2021-02-22 00:18

No, it was always like this in Katowice

2021-02-22 10:04

Im guessing viewership would suffer on weekdays :()

2021-02-22 08:05

CIS Era Hltv again should not give trophy for tournament, because a lot of CIS teams in playoff

2021-02-22 00:11

Ha, it wouldn't surprise me.

2021-02-22 02:04

kekw

2021-02-22 10:54

hltv really rubbing it in that tl's losing streak vs astralis has lasted 1.5yrs sigh

LET"S GO NAVI!

2021-02-22 00:12

Very clever Loss by Navi tonight,potentially gambit and spirit is less scary than VP,Astralis or liquid :)

2021-02-22 00:15

why or liquid? They wouldn't meet Liquid if Navi won. +Idk if u watched Spirit but they are so insane. 16-1 vs Astralis

2021-02-22 07:12

Let's go Astralis! #ToTheStars

navi astralis grandfinal

2021-02-22 00:17

ez final for navi vs astralis bo5

2021-02-22 00:20

what a bold prediction

2021-02-22 00:32

Good curse ma friend!

2021-02-27 17:45

Lets go Fallen!

2021-02-22 00:21

liquid vs spirit final incoming

2021-02-22 00:22

I am predicting a Russian Team in the final

2021-02-22 00:24

Damn, that’s a bold one

2021-02-22 06:52

yeah should be Na'vi vs Astralis if both teams play at their best and navi should have this

2021-02-22 00:38

Navi aren't exactly known for being super consistent, but they are looking pretty good right now, so I could see either spirit or navi taking one of the grand final spots 50/50.

2021-02-22 16:48

CIS so damn strong nowadays... the golden age of CIS CS for sure, enjoy while it lasts

One Slav in the final, nice!

2021-02-22 00:41

I think Liquid with Fallen could actually beat Astralis. The problem is Astralis were gods to Liquid when Liquid could smash anyone else. Liquid can still smash but they have an actual leader now. Could totally change that dynamic. The scary teams are the CiS ones being real.

2021-02-22 00:52

ez for astralis

2021-02-22 00:58

Ez for CIS!

2021-02-22 01:09

no matters whose they will faced - ez4spirit

2021-02-22 01:19

Gambit 2-1 NaVi Astralis 2-0 Virtus.Pro Spirit 2-0 Gambit Astralis 2-0 Liquid Spirit 3-0 Astralis That's my prediction, I know there are some risky picks, but that's how I see it.

2021-02-22 01:24

NICE LETS GO LIQUID!

2021-02-22 01:34

Lets go liquid I hope the winner is anyone but CIS/astralis

2021-02-22 01:51

Fantasy? Would be cool..

2021-02-22 02:10

Virtus Pro wins this Its JAME TIME

EZ4LIQUID

2021-02-22 02:33

As a fan of BIG and furia, I am in pain Also, ez liquid lol

2021-02-22 04:28

Russia in finals Pog. Astralis to win pls anyway

2021-02-22 04:29

CIS ERA WOOOOOHOOOO

2021-02-22 04:37

Navi will win this mark my words

2021-02-22 05:20

gogo sdy, degster ♨️👍 gl team sp1rit

2021-02-22 06:17

NaVi ruined the dream scenario when 4 cis teams would be possible in semis. Hope Gambit will punish NaVi for this.

2021-02-22 06:49

liquid takes this

2021-02-22 07:00

it will be online too ?

2021-02-22 07:04

russia vs russia vs russia

2021-02-22 07:21

Virtus.pro getting challenged to become the best team in the world wtf Gl to them ALGAAVANGAR

2021-02-22 07:23

Liquid vs Spirit will be a banger grand final, or rematch between Liquid vs Navi. I just don't want to see Astralis on the grand final.

2021-02-22 07:27

NaVi you suck you ruin cis Semi Finals I know this is less to happen beating Astralis or Liquid but you ruin it 😡😡😡

2021-02-22 07:34

ah yes bois time for another NaVi reverse sweep in the Grand Finals can't wait to see who it is against this time

2021-02-22 07:53

Navi-Liquid BO5 it would be interesting

2021-02-22 08:07

Civil War of CIS during the Navi, gambit and spirit, then tripartite war from EU, CIS, NA, believe that It's more difficult to emerge out from the hind to grand final Vp is unlucky as they have to meet Astrails first in playoff, looks like Navi is lucky but gambit and spirit are underdog, they've protein power to beat Navi without any questions, especially spirit was stunning Astrails on dust2 with a streak15-0, good luck CIS

2021-02-22 08:30

I dunno, man. I would say Astralis is unlucky as they have to meet VP first in playoff.

2021-02-22 11:12

50/50, no body knows what gonna happening between them, after all they haven't meet for 1.5years

2021-02-25 09:48

Let's go Spirit

2021-02-22 08:31

somewhere one thorin chokes a dick

2021-02-22 08:42

Pog

2021-02-22 09:14

Damn NaVi why you had to lose?! Also VP unluko this event with their opponents((

2021-02-22 09:51

hope gambit will crush this natus botcere

2021-02-22 10:25

Final BO5 Pog

2021-02-22 10:27

Liquid vs Spirit final pls

2021-02-22 10:56

Go Russia Go

2021-02-22 11:07

CIS Power!!!

2021-02-22 11:45

Vodka have dominated this tournament

2021-02-22 11:53

final will be spirit vs Virtus.pro

2021-02-22 13:27

Looking for a Russian finals)

2021-02-22 13:33

Imagine if Liquid win this shit.

2021-02-22 14:46

i am from future, russian team will be in finals.

2021-02-22 14:49

NaVi Astralis Spirit 2-1 NaVi Astralis 2-0 Liquid Astralis 2-0 Spirit revenge ez

2021-02-22 15:04

IEM Slavowice

2021-02-22 16:03

Of course Liquid ended up on the same side of the bracket as Astralis.

2021-02-22 16:30

CIS region rocking good results on easy to cheat on online era, no surprises there.

2021-02-22 20:58

Extremely inconsiderate usage of the counter strike calendar by ESL here. I'd rather watch matches from a monday to a sunday instead of having to wait a whole ass week. Other tournaments must happen too. It's unnecessary, there's not even a stage to prepare, it's all online...

2021-02-23 04:00