MOUZ whitewash NAVI to win final CS:GO event
Following an exhilarating journey through the group stages and playoffs, the stage was set for an epic showdown in the ESL Pro League Season 18, featuring NAVI and MOUZ in a BO5 final. The map ban phase saw MOUZ opt to remove Anubis from contention, while NAVI chose to eliminate Vertigo, leaving the 5 maps: Inferno, Overpass, Mirage, Nuke, and Ancient.
In the opening match on Inferno, it was MOUZ who seized the early advantage, commencing their campaign on the CT side by successfully converting the pistol round. They continued their momentum by securing a crucial 2v3 retake, followed by two more rounds, building a commanding 4-0 lead in the process. However, NAVI soon found their footing, with iM leading the charge to help them level the score. Although NAVI showed competitiveness, it was MOUZ who maintained the upper hand in the first half, concluding it with a 9-6 lead.
MOUZ carried their momentum into the second half, commencing with a successful pistol round. Yet, their momentum was short-lived, as NAVI responded emphatically during the force round, with their pistols delivering 4 kills. Nevertheless, MOUZ countered in a similar fashion, claiming the force buy round for themselves. This round victory provided MOUZ with the much-needed momentum, allowing them to surge ahead to a 14-7 lead. Despite NAVI's attempts at a comeback, MOUZ held firm, with xertioN delivering a standout performance on the T side, as his 1.69 T rating ultimately helped MOUZ to secure the first map with a 16-10 score line.
Transitioning to the second map, Overpass, it became evident why it's considered a CT-sided map. Beginning as the CT side, MOUZ dominated the early proceedings, securing the first four rounds. Much like Inferno, NAVI managed to respond by equalizing the score, but their impact faded afterward. With Torzsi rising to the occasion by notching 21 kills with the AWP, MOUZ's CT side established a commanding 11-4 lead at halftime. NAVI initiated their CT side with a strong start, outperforming MOUZ by securing an initial momentum of five rounds. However, once MOUZ found their rhythm, they proved relentless. This time, it was Jimpphat who stepped up for MOUZ, boasting an exceptional 2.21 rating and enabling MOUZ to mount a stellar offensive, stringing together five consecutive rounds to clinch victory on the second map.
The third map took us to Mirage, where NAVI started on the CT side and MOUZ on the T. Despite trailing by 0-3, NAVI found a resurgence, as they overtook MOUZ to lead 5-3. The s1mple that had been missing in action during the first two maps began to shine, contributing to NAVI's newfound dominance. However, the momentum NAVI had worked hard to establish took an unexpected hit when MOUZ secured an unlikely round win using only pistols. This setback appeared to unsettle NAVI, leading to miscommunication and lapses in their gameplay. MOUZ capitalized on this opportunity, closing out the first half with a 9-6 lead.
The second map witnessed a resurgence from NAVI. Determined not to concede any ground to MOUZ, they kicked off their T-side by converting the first three rounds. Although they faced a setback in the subsequent buy round, NAVI managed to string together four consecutive rounds, taking a commanding 13-10 lead. For the first time in the BO5 series, NAVI appeared dominant, but their moment in the spotlight was fleeting as MOUZ finally regained their footing, surging ahead to reach match point at 15-13. However, even in the face of this adversity, NAVI didn't falter, clawing their way back and pushing the game into overtime. 1mple was instrumental not only in the final two rounds but throughout the game, as he claimed 27 rounds in regulation.
However, the OT was an array of nightmares for NAVI as they suffered multiple round losses despite having a man advantage. First, a pivotal 4v3 slipped through their grasp due to a well-timed flank from xertioN, and then a dramatic 1v1 ninja defuse sealed MOUZ's flawless performance on the CT half of overtime. MOUZ subsequently cruised through the first round of their T side, securing a 19-15 victory and cementing their status as the last team to clinch a CS:GO event.
Natus VincereMOUZ| Natus Vincere |
K - D | +/- | ADR | KAST | Rating 2.0 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Oleksandr 's1mple' Kostyliev |
63 - 64 | -1 | 75.0 | 63.5% | 0.99 |
 Mihai 'iM' Ivan |
53 - 61 | -8 | 71.8 | 71.8% | 0.96 |
 Justinas 'jL' Lekavicius |
55 - 66 | -11 | 72.4 | 65.9% | 0.93 |
 Aleksi 'Aleksib' Virolainen |
46 - 63 | -17 | 60.4 | 64.7% | 0.82 |
| Valeriy 'b1t' Vakhovskiy |
44 - 64 | -20 | 61.5 | 63.5% | 0.81 |
| MOUZ |
K - D | +/- | ADR | KAST | Rating 2.0 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Ádám 'torzsi' Torzsás |
68 - 45 | +23 | 76.2 | 76.5% | 1.29 |
| Jimi 'Jimpphat' Salo |
67 - 47 | +20 | 79.6 | 81.2% | 1.25 |
 Dorian 'xertioN' Berman |
64 - 60 | +4 | 84.8 | 74.1% | 1.20 |
 David 'frozen' Čerňanský |
61 - 49 | +12 | 84.3 | 75.3% | 1.17 |
 Kamil 'siuhy' Szkaradek |
57 - 61 | -4 | 70.4 | 72.9% | 1.02 |
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