MOUZ defeat Astralis 2–1 at ESL Pro League Season 23 Stage 2

MOUZ secured a 2–1 victory over Astralis in a match of ESL Pro League Season 23 Stage 2. After losing on Ancient, the team managed to turn the series around with convincing wins on Mirage and Overpass, moving one step closer to the playoffs.

Map veto:

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

The series started on Ancient, where both teams delivered a tense and evenly contested game. Neither side managed to build a lasting advantage, and the map went into overtime after the regulation rounds ended tied. In the decisive moments, Astralis played slightly better and secured the map 16–14, taking the lead in the series.

On Mirage, the situation changed completely. MOUZ controlled the game from the very first rounds, showing confident play on both the T and CT sides. Astralis struggled to respond to their aggressive style, and MOUZ eventually secured a dominant 13–1 victory, tying the series.

The deciding map Overpass was also fully controlled by MOUZ. The team quickly took the initiative and did not allow Astralis to mount any real resistance. With a series of confident rounds, MOUZ closed the map 13–3, securing the overall 2–1 victory.

Match MVP

The best player of the match was Spinx from MOUZ, who delivered an outstanding individual performance throughout the series. He finished the match with 100.4 ADR and a 1.49 rating.

This hard-fought win moves MOUZ to a 2–0 record, putting them just one step away from the playoffs. Astralis, who were close to pulling off a surprise, drop to the 1–1 bracket. ESL Pro League Season 23 Stage 2 runs from March 6 to March 10, with 16 teams competing for playoff spots, while the remaining eight teams will share $185,000 in prize money.