NiP, Astralis start the second stage in Stockholm with the wins

The opening day of the second round.

With only two games left to be played in the first round of the second Swiss system at PGL Major Stockholm 2021, it was time to finalize the initial brackets before drawing the next matches.

One of the big favourites and the only Swedish team at the event, Ninjas in Pyjamas, started their campaign on Inferno against MOUZ, who advanced to the second stage after multiple wins in the elimination games. A nearly stellar defence allowed NiP to obtain a “12-3” lead at halftime, but the international mix started to reduce the deficit after the switch. The Swedish team’s offence looked to be done and dusted, as MOUZ got to “11-13”, but a pair of half buys and a closing round allowed NiP to escape the opener with a “16-12” win and improve to “1-0” in the brackets.

Astralis, who had to come back from a “0-2” deficit in the first stage, faced off against FURIA Esports on the same Inferno and took a commanding lead into halftime, “10-5”. The Brazilian mix looked to mount a comeback of their own, but fell short with multiple advantageous rounds slipping away, as the Danes got their first win in the second stage, “16-10”.

With all eight games being complete in the first round, it is time to have another eight best of ones to find out who will be playing best of three series tomorrow and who is going to stay with best of ones for now.