Virtus.pro eliminate MOUZ from Stockholm after intense double overtime decider

The CIS side came out on top of a thrilling end to a three-map series to set up a match against FaZe for a spot in playoffs.

Virtus.pro have claimed victory over MOUZ following an incredibly intense end to an elimination series in the Legends Stage, in which the teams picked up one-sided wins on their own map picks before battling into double overtime on Vertigo, where Dzhami "⁠Jame⁠" Ali's side managed to come out on top.

The win for the CIS team ends MOUZ's PGL Major Stockholm campaign in heartbreaking fashion, sending them home with a 1-3 record. VP, meanwhile, have drawn FaZe in the final round of the Swiss group stage, who they'll face off against at 14:45 for one of the final three spots in the playoffs.

It was a surprise Ancient pick from MOUZ that left VP stunned at the onset of the series. The European mixture held a 1-2 record on the map ahead of the match-up, but looked anything but lackluster as they showcased a masterclass on the T side, running rampant over the CIS team's defenses. VP managed just two rounds in the first half as MOUZ maintained firm control throughout in a streak of rounds that included a 1vs3 clutch from Robin "⁠ropz⁠" Kool, and although VP kicked off a comeback effort in the second half, the scoreline was far too lopsided for them to claim redemption on the map.

VP's effort to rally back on Ancient did serve one purpose though, successfully getting them warmed up and mentally back into the series — a return to form that they demonstrated on Inferno. An apartments pop in the opening pistol saw Evgenii "⁠FL1T⁠" Lebedev score four frags to bag Virtus.pro the first round, but he was quickly one-upped in the round that followed as Jame secured a 1vs5 clutch to prevent VP from falling to a force-buy.

From there, VP gave MOUZ a taste of how they had felt on map one, cruising to a 12-3 lead at the half, and wasting little time in closing things out as Mareks "⁠YEKINDAR⁠" Gaļinskis shut down any attempts to attack banana en route to a 16-3 finish.

MOUZ's prospects did not improve at the start of the decider, Vertigo, and it was once again Virtus.pro who dealt the early blow. YEKINDAR was key in helping put up a flawless 8-0 start for his side, a lead which was further extended to 10-1 before MOUZ finally put a halt to the onslaught.

It truly was a halt, too, as four rounds at the end of the half gave way to a dominant CT performance for Christopher "⁠dexter⁠" Nong and company. They won 12 rounds in a row, taking the lead on the map for the first time in the process, until Virtus.pro finally cracked through to score their first T side round. A back-and-forth trade allowed MOUZ to reach match point, but Virtus.pro fought back to force overtime, where the teams continued to narrowly eek out wins, an intense battle that saw them once again deadlocked at 18-18 before Virtus.pro took control to close things out, winning four rounds in a row.

The Legends Stage standings ahead of the final round of matches looks as follows: