Astralis are through to Stage 2 of ESL Pro League Season 23, dominating 3DMAX with a 2-0 scoreline. Returning to form after an unfortunate defeat, the Danish side’s convincing performance in a crucial match has earned them another milestone after losing big names from the squad before the start of the season.
VETO
- 3DMAX removed Mirage
- Astralis removed Anubis
- 3DMAX picked Dust2
- Astralis picked Overpass
- 3DMAX removed Ancient
- Astralis removed Inferno
- Nuke was left over
Map 1: Dust2; Pick: 3DMAX; Winner: Astralis
Dominating the pistol round, Astralis stopped a fast-paced offence from the French side to kick off the series. Winning the majority of the rounds by the end of the first half, Astralis did not let 3DMAX win more than 3 rounds, leading to them swapping sides with a 9-3 scoreline. Winning the pistol round, 3DMAX narrowed the lead before Astralis caught momentum with the first gun round on their offence and from that point onwards, the French side was not allowed to win more than 1 round, leading to a quick conclusion of the first map. Taking a solid 13-6 win, the Danes put their side halfway into Stage 2 with Staehr topping the board with 19 kills and 1.67 IR.
Map 2: Overpass; Pick: Astralis; Winner: Astralis
Yet another pistol conversion to open the map gave Astralis an early lead on the T side to start their pick. While 3DMAX did pick up the first gun round, Astralis went on to put together a streak of 9 rounds before 3DMAX could return to the board before the end of the first half to switch sides with the same scoreline from map 1. Losing out on the pistol round and the force buy, Astralis converted the first gun round with their lead cut in half. Maintaining their lead, Astralis did not give up for a comeback to 3DMAX, leading to a perfect close of the second map and a statement win to qualify for the next round of play. The freshman Ryu stood out as the best player for Astralis with crucial clutches and 18 kills against a seasoned opposition.
3DMAX will have their back against the wall as the next loss would see them crash out of the ESL Pro League despite being one of the favorites to make it to the next stage. Judging by their recent performances, the gaps in their teamplay are yet to be addressed, as the teams are finding gaps, especially in their defence, far too easily, and unless they can address them by the next game, their next showing will be at a later event.
