G2 overpower FTW to post third win in Malta

G2 only allowed their foes to muster 11 rounds over the two-map series.

G2 extended their record to 3-0 in Group B of ESL Pro League Season 16 with a 2-0 victory over FTW. The European mix didn't allow any room for their foes to manoeuvre as they took care of business on both Inferno (16-5) and Ancient (16-6). FTW suffer their third consecutive defeat with this loss to G2, making their chances at a playoff berth now seem like an impossible task.

Rasmus "⁠HooXi⁠" Nielsen and company still have their biggest test yet to come as they're set to face off versus FaZe on Saturday at 19:30 . A win there would guarantee the European combine a spot in the playoffs for the first time since ESL Pro League Season 13, but G2 could also have their spot secured before day three finishes if the results work in their favor.

Inferno played host to the first map of the series. G2 initially climbed to a 4-0 lead on the CT-side but the European mix's financial woes enabled FTW to claw the deficit back to 4-5. HooXi's heroic B-site defence with the Five-SeveN in the tenth round got G2 back on track, with the duo of Nikola "⁠NiKo⁠" Kovač and Justin "⁠jks⁠" Savage joining forces with 30 frags to power their side to a 10-5 showing by the break.

G2's offensive effort got off to the ideal start, with NiKo putting up a MAC-10 ace in banana as his team extended their lead to 13-10. FTW could do little to stop the bleeding from here on out, with G2 hitting all of their shots to post the remaining three rounds and complete the flawless T-side, 16-5.

G2 didn't take their foot off the gas once Ancient got underway, with the European combine grabbing the opening pick round after round as they jumped out to a 5-0 start to their T-side. It took two kills apiece by Rafael "⁠arrozdoce⁠" Wing and Francisco "⁠kst⁠" Fragoso in the seventh round for FTW to get their first round on the board, the Portuguese using this to bring their way back to one round down, 5-6. G2 managed to stabilise from here on out, however, cruising to a comfortable 10-5 lead at the interval.

HooXi's troops turned it up a notch once on the more favoured CT-side, brushing their foes aside at every turn to reach match point uncontested, 15-5. A lone round win by Diogo "⁠DDias⁠" Dias and co. thereafter only delayed the inevitable, as Ilya "⁠m0NESY⁠" Osipov gunned down four in the final round to lock in Ancient 16-6.

HooXi had an impressive showing in the series, with the new G2 captain averaging a 1.42 rating over the two maps — a big step up compared to his 0.82 showing whilst in a G2 jersey so far. G2 will now be preparing for their game versus FaZe on Saturday at 19:30 in what is poised to be both sides' biggest challenge of the whole group.