Complexity beat Virtus.pro in ESL Pro League playoffs

The 'Juggernaut' claimed another CIS scalp in the knockout stages of the tournament after previously beating NAVI.

Complexity came from behind to beat Virtus.pro 2-1 and seal passage to the quarter-final stage of ESL Pro League Season 13. The international team looked shaky at first as they conceded their map pick in a one-sided game, then moved into higher gear, taking down Virtus.pro on their strongest map before pulling off a surprise victory on Vertigo to snap a four-game losing streak on the map.

"We were expecting Vertigo as the third map," Kristian "⁠k0nfig⁠" Wienecke, who helped the team over the finishing line with some stellar AWPing on the CT side of the decider map, said after the match. "We've been practising it a little bit and trying to make our game plan way better. It's really hard to play Vertigo when you don't play it that much. We had great team play and good communication. We were playing off of each other. poizon was doing some amazing plays on the T side. It felt amazing."

Complexity took some time to get into their rhythm in the first half of Mirage as Virtus.pro took control of proceedings with a tight defence, but they rallied late in the half to cut the deficit to three rounds. The 'Juggernaut' kept the game very much open after the break, but their comeback hopes were dashed in the 22nd round, when Mareks "⁠YEKINDAR⁠" Gaļinskis unlocked the defence with a trio of frags in a 2v4 situation, setting Virtus.pro on their way to a comfortable victory.

The CIS team looked intent on building on their Mirage success as they controlled the first half of Inferno, posting nine rounds as Terrorists after exposing a leaky Complexity defence. Things went from bad to worse for the 'Juggernaut' after being shut down in the second pistol round, but they immediately rallied back and took the game to their opponents. Complexity ruthlessly tore VP's defence apart in the second half, with Valentin "⁠poizon⁠" Vasilev delivering the finishing blow with a trio of AK-47 frags to cap off an impressive T side showing (1.45 rating and 93 ADR).

Virtus.pro came out on Vertigo the brighter of the two sides as they raced to a 4-0 lead, but rather than put a death grip on the game, they ceded control to Complexity, who ran riot for the rest of the half. poizon was once again at the centre of the action, winning all but one of his six opening duels and leading his team with 14 frags and a 108 ADR. The second half began with Virtus.pro putting some rounds together, but the complexion of the game changed as soon as Complexity had money in the bank. k0nfig took over sniping duties and inspired his team to an impressive win, which was sealed with a defuse through a smoke in a round the 'Juggernaut' had no business winning.

"Apparently, I'm a little bit of a hybrid player," the Danish player said after the match, laughing. "I hit some lucky shots today. "