Fnatic vs Liquid: Who Will Win the First Match Of the ESL Pro League Playoffs?

Today the ESL Pro League playoffs start, which will determine the tournament's champion. Liquid and fnatic will meet in the first match, whose rosters have never played against each other. So who will advance, and who will leave the tournament?

Maps

Permabans are already talking about Liquid's advantage over the map veto. The Americans are banning Nuke, which is fnatic's most popular and strong card. At the same time, Ancient and Vertigo, which are strong for Liquid, will remain in the pool after the first stage. Americans can take any of these cards, Ancient can be chosen for better reliability, and Vertigo can be taken because this card is weak for fnatic. At the same time, fnatic will certainly take Overpass because this map will definitely not be pleasant for Liquid. However, the deader will still be preferable for Liquid because fnatic will have to choose between Vertigo, Inferno, Ancient or Mirage. Thus, the most likely veto options are Overpass-Ancient-Mirage, Vertigo-Overpass-Mirage, and Vertigo-Overpass-Ancient. Either option is nicer for Liquid, so they have an advantage on the map veto.

The Shape

Fnatic did a great job in the group stage. The British team beat NIP, Spirit and Endpoint and won one map against Natus Vincere and Vitality. The new line-up justified itself and showed a stable game. The same cannot be said about Liquid. In the group stage, the American team was a mood team. On a good day, Liquid didn't leave a chance for Cloud9, and on a bad day, they could lose to Eternal Fire, which they couldn't lose, because it significantly worsened the situation for the team in the group. However, it is impossible not to mention that Cloud9 were beaten in a match that decided everything for Liquid, so the team has no jitters in important meetings. If the American team shows their best form against fnatic, they could get an easy win, but fnatic's stability could be more critical.

Outcome

The nominal favourite in this match is Liquid. The Americans have a map veto advantage and star players in the roster, but fnatic can take advantage of the instability of the opponents and get the victory in the fight. Detailed pre-match statistics can be viewed here.