Match Prediction: BIG - OG | Counter-Strike (CS2)

BIG and OG will play in the third match for reaching the main stage of IEM Cologne 2021. The European derby promises to be hot, and the prize is worth it.

Both teams are in the TOP-15 of HLTV and are competing for higher places. Both teams very confidently won their first matches at IEM Cologne 2021. But only one of them already today guarantees its passage to the group stage and saves from the hassle at the bottom of the bracket.

Let's get down to possibly the most interesting Bo3 for today. OG vs. BIG.

BIG shape

For the 9th team in the world ranking, 2021 turned out to be eventful, I don't want to. It seems that everything was present in it: ups, downs, joy and disappointment.

Starting the year with a victory at BLAST Premier: Spring Groups 2021, the Germans quite unexpectedly flew off to 16th place at IEM XV, and later took 21-24th place at ESL Pro League. After that, BIG never stopped “storming”: they won Funspark ULTI 2020, after which they successfully failed DreamHack Masters Spring 2021, and then took 5th place at Flashpoint Season 3.

Before the start of IEM Cologne BIG, they got hold of the desired, albeit not the most status, victory at Gamers Without Borders. There is no need to be very hopeful about this, but at least a slight boost in morality should have given them this.

BIG Recent Results

• Defeat FURIA 2-1
• Victory over mousesports with a score of 2-1
• Defeat FURIA 2-1
• Lose from SKADE with a score of 1-2
• Beat Sprout 16-8

The succession of very successful matches is interrupted by the defeat to SKADE, which seems to represent the whole year of BIG. In a match against OG, composure is needed.

Form OG

The BIG Germans will be opposed by the international roster OG, which is now on the 11th line of HLTV. OG, who do not have much better year than BIG.

Until the beginning of summer, OG performed very "sluggishly". At three major tournaments (BLAST Premier: Spring Groups 2021, Intel Extreme Masters XV and ESL Pro League Season 13), the team took 10-12, 13-16 and 13-16 places, respectively. Such performance is clearly far from the "elite CS". At the end of the year, they again hit the TOP 16 at Flashpoint 3, but won Spring Sweet Spring # 2 and lost in the IEM Summer XVI Gambit final.

OG Latest Results

• Victory over VP 2-0
• Defeat EG 2-1
• Defeat Vitality 2-1
• Lost at Gambit with a score of 0-3
• Beat TeamOne 16-6

The succession of recent matches was supposed to cheer up OG. And the victory in the debut match in Cologne against not the most passable Team One will strengthen the feeling of their own competence.

Personal meeting history

Over the past 5 official matches, OG have been leading 3-2.

The outcome of the fight

The two teams show less disciplined play throughout the season and IEM Cologne 2021 should be a breakthrough for both clubs. In this match, I'm expecting a full-fledged bo3 or a 2-1 victory for OG.

Outcome: OG wins 2-1/total +2.5.