ENCE is next in line for the G2 juggernaut as we enter the Round of 12 of the ESL Pro League Season 17 Playoffs
On one hand, we have G2 — a dominating team that was beaten at long last and sent into the Mid Bracket of their group by another solid team having a good day. On the other hand, we have ENCE, who made it through to their group’s Upper Bracket Final after getting two relatively easy matchups. Both teams will be desperate to make the Quarterfinals, though, and in a Best of 3 knockout format, anything goes. If you want more insight into the match as an avid CSGO fan or are looking to do some CSGO betting, here’s everything you need to know.
ENCE
It’s been a while since ENCE have been truly relevant on the biggest stage in CS, and although their direct Round of 12 berth at this tournament might indicate otherwise to the untrained eye, they were, in fact, extremely fortunate to get there in such an easy manner. It’s not as though they have no chance against G2, but the vast majority of people would agree that ENCE are in over their head in this matchup.
Players
Marco “Snappi” Pfeiffer
- HLTV Rating: 0.95
- Impact Rating: 0.96
- Kill/Assist/Survived/Traded: 69.4%
- Average Damage Round: 72.6
- Kills Per Round: 0.65
Paweł “dycha” Dycha
- HLTV Rating: 1.12
- Impact Rating: 1.15
- Kill/Assist/Survived/Traded: 70.7%
- Average Damage Round: 81.1
- Kills Per Round: 0.73
Pavle “maden” Bošković
- HLTV Rating: 1.08
- Impact Rating: 1.16
- Kill/Assist/Survived/Traded: 68.5%
- Average Damage Round: 79.3
- Kills Per Round: 0.72
Alvaro “SunPayus” Garcia
- HLTV Rating: 1.16
- Impact Rating: 1.15
- Kill/Assist/Survived/Traded: 72.9%
- Average Damage Round: 74.2
- Kills Per Round: 0.72
Guy “NertZ” Iluz
- HLTV Rating: 1.11
- Impact Rating: 1.28
- Kill/Assist/Survived/Traded: 68.9%
- Average Damage Round: 85.0
- Kills Per Round: 0.77
Player to Watch
This game will be NertZ’s trial by fire, so we’re going for the slightly more experienced and established SunPayus as ENCE’s best player.
G2 Esports
G2 have proven time and again that they’re currently the best team out there, but after losing more maps at this tournament than they did in almost 3 months before that, this might be a day of reckoning for the longevity of their form. Every top CSGO team goes through stretches of dominance, but that level of prowess is usually a short-lived run of form. This matchup, and any others G2 might play at this tournament, will be a testament to their strength — and their bulldozing of Movistar Riders hints at a more positive possibility for the team’s fans.
Players
Nemanja “huNter-” Kovač
- HLTV Rating: 1.12
- Impact Rating: 1.22
- Kill/Assist/Survived/Traded: 72.1%
- Average Damage Round: 84.4
- Kills Per Round: 0.77
Justin “jks” Savage
- HLTV Rating: 1.07
- Impact Rating: 1.05
- Kill/Assist/Survived/Traded: 72.2%
- Average Damage Round: 77.3
- Kills Per Round: 0.70
Ilya “m0NESY” Osipov
- HLTV Rating: 1.22
- Impact Rating: 1.24
- Kill/Assist/Survived/Traded: 74.1%
- Average Damage Round: 79.3
- Kills Per Round: 0.78
Nikola “NiKo” Kovač
- HLTV Rating: 1.15
- Impact Rating: 1.30
- Kill/Assist/Survived/Traded: 71.2%
- Average Damage Round: 86.0
- Kills Per Round: 0.79
Rasmus “HooXi” Nielsen
- HLTV Rating: 0.86
- Impact Rating:0.86
- Kill/Assist/Survived/Traded:66.8%
- Average Damage Round: 67.3
- Kills Per Round: 0.57
Player To Watch
It’s been a while since we’ve put NiKo on a pedestal, and we’re officially predicting that he’s going to be a beast in this series.
ESL Pro League Season 17 Playoffs: ENCE vs G2 Esports Predictions
Given the state of ENCE, we’re all in for G2 to win 2-0.
Maps
ENCE will almost certainly ban Anubis, so it’s probably that G2 will go with Nuke. Meanwhile, the Finnish side should pick Mirage as their map. As for the last one, we’ll go with Vertigo.
Score
Map 1: G2 to win with ENCE <11.
Map 2: G2 to win with ENCE <9.
Top Fragger
When NiKo’s feeling it, there are very few players who can match him, and although m0NESY is a strong contender, we’re going with the Bosnian for this one.
Match Links
Here are the Twitch and YouTube channels that will broadcast the game. Coverage is set to begin at 10:30 ET/09:30 CST/07:30 PT.
Make sure to take a look at our extensive CSGO section, where we have previews, recaps, analyses and more.
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