On January 21, at the FunSpark ULTI Finals 2021 tournament, there will be a matchup between k23 and BIG Clan. The game is in the upper bracket semifinal. Both teams pulled off upsets in their previous matches by defeating the favorites. Berlin International Gaming took down fnatic, while the Kazakh team was stronger than Astralis. We provided predictions for both matches.
K23
The Kazakh organization shocked the Counter-Strike world by defeating a four-time Major winner in a best-of-three series. Yes, only two players remain from the original Danish roster, but it was still a formidable force, especially with the addition of strong players like blameF and c0nfig. All three maps were played. The domestic team picked Mirage, the Danes chose Inferno, and Overpass was the decider. Thanks to xsepower’s incredible efforts, k23 won their pick against Astralis 22-19. The second map was lost convincingly, but on the third, it went to overtimes again, where k23 emerged victorious 19-16.
BIG
The German team entered their first match as underdogs, with odds around 2.4 for their win. This was fair, as they had lost their last three encounters against the opponent. In yesterday’s match, Fnatic picked Overpass, BIG chose Mirage, and Nuke was the third map. Thanks to strong performances from tabsen and k1to, the Germans easily took their opponents’ pick. On Mirage, Brollan shone for the Swedes, tying the series at 1-1. On the third map, BIG’s newcomer faveN stepped up, with only syrsoN’s sniping being better.
Statistics and Prediction
In the last three months, only 40% of matches ended in favor of the German team. K23 has a better record with 83% wins. Meanwhile, neaLaN and his team are on a 10-game winning streak. Though their opponents were generally weaker than BIG’s, it’s still an impressive run. The teams haven’t faced each other before. Bookmakers favor the German side with odds of 1.69 for their win, while k23’s victory is at 2.1.
I won’t downplay Berlin International Gaming’s achievements, but fnatic performed poorly in their last match. The Germans played well on both CT and T sides, perhaps overdoing the aggression on defense, but overall, it was a solid performance. Their newcomer only activated on the final map. Maps with the highest win rates: Dust2 (62%), Mirage (55.6%), and Overpass (50%).
By beating Astralis, k23 proved they can compete at the top tier. The team showed resilience, clinching two wins in overtimes. Though only xsepower had a positive KD and rating individually, the squad displayed strong teamwork. There were drawbacks, like losing rounds in the majority and issues with defusing the bomb. Their best maps are Dust2 (100% wins), Mirage (88%), and Overpass (83%).
I think k23 will find it tougher against BIG than against Astralis. The Germans have a stable core and solid communication. The Danes, however, are in a rebuilding phase and on a downturn. Even though k23 is strong on Dust2, BIG has always performed well there. The Germans also excelled on Overpass yesterday, though their other maps are average. BIG should win at least one map thanks to experience, k23 should take their pick with a broader map pool, and the match’s outcome will likely be decided on the third map.
