G2 secure convincing win over MIBR in BLAST Group B opener

Despite a shaky start the team around Nikola "⁠NiKo⁠" Kovač confirmed the status of clear favorites against the Brazilian side.

G2 have defeated MIBR in a clear-cut 2-0 series in the opening match of Group B at BLAST Premier Fall Groups, moving on to Tuesday's upper final to play for a spot at the Fall Final against the winner of the Ninjas in Pyjamas-BIG encounter.

The series against the Brazilians sees the European side secure their first win since they returned from the summer break last month.

After finishing the last season with a streak of five consecutive top-four finishes and a grand final appearance at IEM Cologne, G2 exited ESL Pro League Season 14 in last place following a 0-5 record in the group stage, which Nemanja "⁠nexa⁠" Isaković attributed to general rustiness from both the individuals and the team.

This time, G2 stepped into the BLAST Premier Fall Groups on the right foot, but at least at first on Mirage it was far from the easy affair that many had expected when considering MIBR are using two stand-ins at the event: their strategic coach, Renato "⁠nak⁠" Nakano, and academy player Breno "⁠brnz4n⁠" Poletto.

The favorites got off to a shaky start on the opener on Mirage because of two lost rounds to just Deagles in the Brazilians' hands, and although G2 managed to recover after that without too many issues, MIBR still took the map to double digits.

The French-Balkan side clinched a much cleaner win on the second map, Inferno. Gustavo "⁠yel⁠" Knittel and company lacked the same momentum-stopping flare they brought to Mirage with their forcebuy successes, and G2 had both François "⁠amanek⁠" Delaunay and NiKo continue a solid performance from the opening map to help lock down the series without breaking a sweat.

"I'm satisfied to take the W because it's been a long time since we 2-0d a team in officials," coach Damien "⁠maLeK⁠" Marcel said on the official broadcast. "After the performance we had at the last tournament after the break, we were really, really focused, working a lot. It's a great feeling for me as a coach to see my boys that focused."