In the quarterfinals of IEM Katowice 2024 for CS2, FaZe Clan and G2 Esports will go head to head. Bo3.gg, together with Konstantin Leniniw Sivko, presents a preview, prediction, and analysis of this confrontation, which will take place on February 9th at 17:15 EET.
Both clubs are determined to win the trophy. It can be said that each of them has had a good start to the season. Previously, both teams advanced to the BLAST Premier: Spring Final 2024. FaZe Clan continues to showcase its unique gameplay and traditionally aims for high places. G2 is actively trying to reach a new level with two captains in the lineup.
Regarding FaZe Clan, the departure of Russel "Twistzz" Van Dulken did not go unnoticed. Indeed, David "frozen" Čerňanský has integrated well into the roster, but he still needs to fully adapt to the new style of play. Overall, the team looks good, but the fact that other teams have found its weaknesses is undeniable.
On the other hand, G2 does not stop trying to find a playstyle with two captains. Although the players claim that Nemanja "nexa" Isaković can shoot well, his performance is still very unstable. The decision-making of G2 raises doubts in the community.
Current form
In the last matches both teams mostly won, but each team lost once. FaZe Clan failed against Team Spirit, and G2 failed against ENCE.
Head-to-head encounters
The last time the teams met each other two months ago in a Group B match at BLAST Premier: World Final 2023. That time FaZe Clan came out victorious, but that confrontation cannot be called simple.
Map pool
Prediction from Leniniw
Konstantin Leniniw Sivko is a Maincast studio caster who has been working in Counter-Strike since 2013. During this period, he has commented on many majors and S-tier championships.
I think frozen has fully adapted in FaZe. First of all, he already played with ropz and karrigan, he understands them perfectly. Secondly, FaZe's playstyle and concept are not very different from MOUZ. It's an international lineup where personalities play a big role. This is also evidenced by the fact that frozen is currently a top 5 player in the tournament statistically. As for advantage, that's a FaZe hallmark, especially after certain achievements. They need to feel the pressure to start committing resistance. Right now, G2 is very dependent on NiKo waking up or not. m0NESY is stable enough, but G2 needs both players. For example, when NiKo showed his signature performance, G2 got run over by Monte and Heroic in crucial arena matches. Therefore, G2 is a very unstable team. As for a prediction, it's hard to make one for this match. FaZe Clan has a wider map pool, so there is room for maneuver. On average, FaZe's performers are more stable. On the other hand, FaZe hasn't won a Tier-1 tournament against a Tier-1 team. Their way is Rebels, Eternal Fire (by the way, they had problems with Turks, 2-1), and Spirit just destroyed FaZe. I would bet on FaZe if I had to, but if not, I would refuse to bet on this bo3.Konstantin Leniniw Sivko
IEM Katowice 2024 takes place from January 31 to February 11 in Poland. The teams are playing for a prize pool of one million dollars. The champion will also get slots at IEM Cologne 2024 and BLAST Premier: World Final 2024. You can follow the schedule and results of the tournament at the link.
Comments