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The StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 kicks off Stage 3, and the tension is already high. On the first day, Team Spirit face Team Liquid in a crucial BO1 match. The winner will take an important step toward the playoffs, while the loser will be forced to fight through the lower bracket.
Every round, every clutch, and every tactical choice will matter. Team Spirit will rely on their coordination, sharp aim, and ability to control key moments, while Team Liquid will look to leverage their firepower, experience, and strategic adaptability. In a single map, even one mistake can decide the fate of the team, making this clash a high-stakes, must-watch encounter at the Major.
How The Bookies View It: Spirit Favoured
Bookmakers clearly see Team Spirit as the favourites in this BO1 clash. The odds reflect a strong advantage for the “Dragons,” with Spirit at 1.36 compared to Team Liquid’s 3.07. This suggests that betting markets expect Spirit’s coordination, recent form, and consistent performance at the Major to give them the edge, while Liquid would need to deliver a near-perfect map to pull off the upset.
Team Spirit form. What result can be expected from Team Spirit
Team Spirit went through a long development phase before reaching a stable competitive level. In the early stages, their results were inconsistent: the roster played across different tournaments, searched for the right lineup, and worked to find their identity, but they struggled to secure a strong foothold among the top teams. Gradually, internal adjustments and accumulated experience began to translate into progress.
- Team Spirit 2025 roster: chopper, sh1ro, donk, zweih, tN1R.
Starting from early 2024, the team showed clear improvement. At IEM Katowice 2024, Spirit began their run in the Play-In stage, crushing Apeks 13-0 and then confidently defeating MongolZ to qualify for the group stage. There, they continued to dominate — despite dropping a single map to NAVI, they convincingly beat Complexity and FaZe Clan 2-0.
The playoffs in Katowice further solidified their form: Spirit cleanly defeated Falcons 2-0 and delivered an even stronger performance in the grand final with a 3-0 victory over FaZe.
Next came the PGL CS2 Copenhagen Major 2024, where Spirit reached the playoffs but were eliminated in the first round by FaZe, finishing in the top 8.
At BB Dacha, the team performed well overall, though a 0-3 loss to MOUZ in the grand final slightly overshadowed their run.
During IEM Dallas 2024, Spirit comfortably advanced through the group stage without dropping a single map in Group B, but Vitality stopped them in the playoffs at the top-4 stage.
Later that season, Spirit claimed the title at BLAST Premier: Spring Final 2024, but then entered a streak of mixed results, finishing top 8 and top 16 at IEM Cologne 2024.
At ESL Pro League Season 20, the team again looked solid in the group stage, but a playoff loss to NAVI placed them in 5th–8th.
In BLAST Premier: Fall Final 2024, Spirit struggled once more and finished top 6. At the BLAST Premier: World Final 2024, they advanced through Group B with a win over Vitality, lost to G2 in the seeding match, and then made it all the way to the grand final — only to fall to G2 again, 0-3.
The highlight of the year was the Shanghai Major 2024. In the Elimination Stage, Spirit lost to FURIA but then defeated Wildcard and NAVI, and later beat Heroic to secure a full Bo3 run. In the playoffs, Spirit overcame Liquid, outplayed MOUZ in the semifinals, and defeated FaZe in the grand final, becoming world champions for the first time in the organization’s history.
The 2025 season has also been strong for Spirit. The team secured 1st place at BLAST Bounty Spring 2025 and PGL Astana 2025, finished 2nd at IEM Katowice 2025, and took 3rd–4th at ESL Pro League Season 21, BLAST Open Spring 2025, and BLAST Rivals Spring 2025.
At IEM Cologne 2025, Spirit defeated HEROIC, Aurora Gaming, and MOUZ to qualify directly for the semifinals. There, they beat NAVI and then swept MOUZ 3-0 in the grand final to win the championship.
The team continued their strong form at BLAST Bounty Fall 2025, taking down VP, MOUZ, and Mongolz to secure the title.
Their result at the Esports World Cup, however, was disappointing: Spirit unexpectedly lost to HEROIC 1-2 in their first match and exited in the top 16.
At ESL Pro League Season 22, Spirit went 3-0 in Stage 2 but lost their opening playoff match against FaZe Clan, finishing 5th–8th.
At IEM Chengdu 2025, Spirit started with a win over paiN Gaming but then fell to Team Falcons and moved to the lower bracket. They defeated HEROIC in the Lower Bracket Semifinal but later lost to The Mongolz, finishing 7th–8th.
Team Spirit Map Pool
Team Spirit have been showing solid form over the past three months, especially on Ancient and Overpass, where they hold 80% and 66.7% win rates. Mirage also looks good with 63.6%, while Dust2, often their first pick, sits at 55.6%. The only weak spot right now is Nuke, with just 28.6% wins. It’s also worth noting that Inferno is their permanent ban, as the team clearly avoids that map in their current pool.
Team Liquid form. What result can be expected from Team Liquid
Team Liquid in 2025 continued to strengthen their position on the international CS2 scene, demonstrating stability, high-level gameplay, and the ability to adapt to challenging situations. At the start of the year, a key event was the return of EliGE to the roster, giving the team an aggressive and confident playstyle. Additionally, the roster was strengthened by NertZ and siuhy, who took on the roles of versatile player and captain respectively, while young talent ultimate continued to impress, showing a high individual skill level and potential for further growth.
- Team Liquid’s 2025 roster: EliGE, NAF, NertZ, siuhy, ultimate.
The coaching staff included experienced flashie, with DeMars DeRover handling analytical duties, which allowed the team to improve communication, strategic discipline, and map flexibility. Early in the season, these changes were reflected in more coordinated team play and effective player synergy, which became evident from their tournament results.
The season began with BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025, where Team Liquid had a disappointing performance, finishing 15–16th with a 1–2 record and earning $15,000. Despite this slow start, the team immediately focused on correcting mistakes and improving their gameplay. At the ESL Pro League Season 22: European Qualifier, the team showed more structured play but still faced difficulties, finishing 9–16th. At Intel Extreme Masters Cologne 2025, Team Liquid again failed to reach the playoffs, finishing 13–16th and earning $10,000, though they showed notable progress in individual performance and tactical decisions.
August proved to be a busy month: at the BLAST Bounty Fall 2025: Closed Qualifier, they successfully advanced from the group stage with a 2–1 record, and at the main BLAST Bounty Fall 2025 tournament, they finished 5–8th, earning $18,750. At the Esports World Cup 2025, Team Liquid finished 9–16th, earning $20,000, but displayed resilience and the ability to maintain focus in high-pressure situations. The team also participated in the BLAST Open Fall 2025: Closed Qualifier, finishing 9–12th with a 0–2 record, adding $7,500 to their prize fund.
The September period of the season was more productive: at FISSURE Playground #2, the team finished 3–4th, losing a close series 1–2 and earning $40,000. At the Birch Cup 2025, Team Liquid finished third with a 2–0 record and $1,700 in prize money. These tournaments showed that Team Liquid could perform at a high level in offline events and compete with top European and Asian teams, consistently demonstrating solid individual preparation and team coordination.
In October, Team Liquid competed at the CS Asia Championships 2025, confidently defeating opponents 2–0 and finishing third, earning $60,000. Following that, in the tournament opener at PGL Masters Bucharest 2025, Team Liquid managed a narrow 2–1 victory over the Brazilian squad Legacy, showing their ability to adapt under pressure and maintain composure in tight matches. However, in their second match of the event, Liquid fell to Aurora Gaming 2–1, despite winning the first map. The defeat highlighted the team’s inconsistency in closing out series against disciplined opponents but also showed promising signs in terms of map control and early-round execution.
It is worth noting the dynamics of the team’s performance throughout the season. Despite several early setbacks, Team Liquid systematically analyzed mistakes, adjusted player roles, and improved map communication. A key factor was the role rotation between NAF and NertZ, which allowed them to diversify tactical approaches and adapt to different types of opponents. EliGE and ultimate provided stable fragging and leadership in crucial moments, helping the team maintain map control and win critical rounds.
Overall, Team Liquid in 2025 showed that they remain one of the stable teams on the international CS2 scene. Despite some setbacks at major tournaments, including the 2–1 loss to Aurora at PGL Masters Bucharest 2025, the team managed to improve communication, adapt to different opponents, and demonstrate coordinated play. The roster and coaching staff showed they could work together, fix mistakes, and find new tactics. The season’s results, including the confident start and competitive showing at PGL Masters Bucharest 2025, indicate that Liquid have everything needed to remain competitive and continue fighting for good placements in major tournaments, with each upcoming match offering a chance to consolidate their position and gain further experience.
Team Liquid Map Pool
Over the past three months, Team Liquid’s performance on different CS2 maps has been a mix of strong results and clear challenges. Their best map has been Ancient, where they won 70% of their matches, showing that they feel confident with rotations, site takes, and overall map control. Mirage has also been a reliable choice, especially as a first pick, with a 61.5% win rate, thanks to solid mid-control and coordinated team plays. Dust2 remains a playable map for them, with a 56.2% win rate, though it’s not as dominant as Ancient or Mirage. On the other hand, Nuke has been tricky, with a 42.9% win rate, as the team struggles with coordinated site pushes and holding key positions. Inferno was even harder, winning only 40% of games, mainly due to difficulties controlling banana and breaking well-set defenses. Train proved to be the toughest for Liquid, with just a 25% win rate, showing that both rotations and strategies need improvement to compete at the highest level. Overall, while the team has clear strong maps, there’s still work to do on the weaker ones to make their map pool more balanced and versatile in upcoming tournaments.
Team Spirit vs Team Liquid — Head to Head
In the last 9 CS2 matches between the two teams, Team Spirit won 6 times, while Team Liquid secured 3 victories.
The overall map score across these 9 matches is 15–8 in favor of Spirit.
From 2024 to 2025, Spirit largely dominated the encounters: they defeated Liquid 2:0 at the 2024 Perfect World Shanghai Major and again won 2:0 at IEM Katowice 2025.
However, Liquid have had a few successful matches — for example, at the 2024 BLAST Premier Fall Final, they won the series 2:1 against Spirit.
Predicted result of the match Liquid – Spirit at StarLadder Budapest Major 2025
All signs point to Team Spirit as the clear favourites in this BO1 clash against Team Liquid. Spirit have been showing excellent form recently, dominating on key maps like Ancient and Overpass, while their coordination, map control, and individual firepower remain superior. Head-to-head history also favours Spirit, with 6 wins in the last 9 encounters and decisive victories in major tournaments such as the Shanghai Major and IEM Katowice. Team Liquid, despite flashes of strong play, have struggled to consistently challenge top-tier teams and have clear weaknesses on maps like Train and Inferno. Considering Spirit’s recent performances, map pool strength, and overall stability, they are expected to secure a confident win in this opening match of Stage 3.
Prediction: Team Spirit Win.
