FUT become the first team to advance to the second stage of ESL Pro League Season 23 after confidently defeating Astralis

FUT became the first team to secure a spot in the second stage of ESL Pro League Season 23, finishing Stage 1 with a perfect 3-0 record. In the decisive match, the Turkish side convincingly defeated Astralis, showcasing a mature and disciplined performance. For this young roster, it is a strong statement of intent and a serious bid to make a deep run in the next stage of the tournament.

Map Veto:

1. Astralis removed Anubis
2. FUT removed Inferno
3. Astralis picked Overpass
4. FUT picked Mirage
5. Astralis removed Dust2
6. FUT removed Nuke
7. Ancient was left over

FUT started confidently on their opponent’s map pick. In the first half of Overpass, the Turkish squad secured a dominant 9:3 lead. After the side switch, they didn’t concede a single round on the attack and closed the map 13:3.

Mirage turned out to be much more competitive. The first half ended in a balanced 6:6 scoreline. After switching sides, Astralis managed to win several key rounds, but FUT ultimately held their nerve and closed Mirage 13:11.

Match MVP

The hero of the match was Krabeni, who finished the series with an ADR of 104.3 and a 1.69 rating.

With this victory, FUT become the first team to advance to the second stage of the tournament with a flawless 3-0 record — an impressive result for a young lineup. Astralis drop to the 2-1 bracket, where they will continue their campaign.

ESL Pro League Season 23 Stage 1 runs from March 1 to March 5, featuring 16 teams competing for 8 spots in the second stage. Only eight teams will advance, while the remaining eight will share $39,000 in prize money.