Top four VRS-ranked teams lock horns for playoffs in EPL Stage 2 Round 3

8-3-2025 21:18

MOUZ take on Vitality and Spirit face The MongolZ for early playoff berths.

The first playoff qualification matches at ESL Pro League Season 21 have been set heading into day three of Stage 2.

World number-one Spirit will face The MongolZ for the first time in nine months for a spot in the playoffs, with the Mongolian team on cloud nine after a massive comeback against G2 in the 1-0 pool.

MongolZ snatch G2 victory from jaws of defeat

Leonid "⁠chopper⁠" Vishnyakov's side last faced The MongolZ in the lower bracket of ESL Pro League Season 20's group stage, where Spirit edged out a victory in three maps after scraping through the decider 13-11.

Vitality and MOUZ, ranked second and fourth on Valve's Global Ranking (second and eighth on HLTV), will do battle in the other qualifying matchup.

It'll be the biggest challenge yet for Ludvig "⁠Brollan⁠" Brolin as he is tested against a top-five-ranked team as an in-game leader for the first time, and a difficult one with Vitality looking like they haven't lost a beat since winning IEM Katowice.

The 0-2 elimination pool will see FURIA and MIBR face off for the second time in Sweden, the latter having got the better of Gabriel "⁠FalleN⁠" Toledo and company 2-0 in Stage 1.

TYLOO are also facing elimination after a loss to Spirit in their opener and a reverse-sweep from Natus Vincere, and will take on GamerLegion in hopes of avoiding a 0-3 exit.

MOUZ and Liquid wins wrap up day two of EPL Stage 2

The 1-1 pool will see Liquid and Eternal Fire lock horns for the first time since the Turks beat the Casper "⁠cadiaN⁠" Møller iteration of the lineup online in the grand final of CCT Global Finals in May 2024.

G2 and Natus Vincere are also looking to avoid early trips to the elimination pool with matches against SAW and paiN, respectively, while Nikola "⁠NiKo⁠" Kovač's Falcons take on 3DMAX.

2-0 pool

Date	Matches
ESL Pro League Season 21
09/03/2025	Spirit 14:05 The MongolZ	Match
09/03/2025	Vitality 16:15 MOUZ	Match

1-1 pool

Date	Matches
ESL Pro League Season 21
09/03/2025	Falcons 10:30 3DMAX	Match
09/03/2025	G2 13:30 SAW	Match
09/03/2025	paiN 15:30 Natus Vincere	Match
09/03/2025	Liquid 18:05 Eternal Fire	Match

0-2 pool

Date	Matches
ESL Pro League Season 21
09/03/2025	GamerLegion 10:30 TYLOO	Match
09/03/2025	FURIA 18:00 MIBR	Match

valve saved cs thenk gaben

2025-03-08 21:18

1 reply

Sombody should send the memo to bankrupting t3 teams

2025-03-09 09:02

Yet another W for chad VRS

2025-03-08 21:26

VRS so good

2025-03-08 21:27

Let’s go mongolz!

2025-03-08 22:03

VRS most correct ranking :)

2025-03-08 22:09

hltv confirmed

2025-03-08 22:48

ESL really hate Tyloo. Should just give them Furia instead.

2025-03-08 22:27

2 replies

Common man you are smarter than that. The seeding rules were defined before the tournament. It is deterministic. Before the tournament even started you could have masturbated all the possible permutations Since you are a smart person that clearly wants to know more about the seeding rules: pro.eslgaming.com/tour/2024/10/2025-epl-..

2025-03-08 22:47

I think Buccholz system was better. And definitely more readable

2025-03-09 08:51

Ez for Vitality and Spirit, I predict that Mouz and Mongolz will not get double figures on any map.

2025-03-08 23:57

Mongolz will get double figures and have a chance. Mouz-Vita seems like a heavy W for Vita anyday.

2025-03-09 03:10

Donk lucky he can farm t2 teams

2025-03-09 03:57

3 replies

and indian best team is dogsreign btw tier 4 team

2025-03-09 07:23

Sorry if that hurt you, Mongolz are a solid t1 team but not enough to contend with spirit. What I meant was that he has farmed t2 teams till now and didn't matched against vitality only other good as of team as them.

2025-03-09 08:32