NaVi vs. Movistar Riders - Who Will Make It to the Semi-finals of IEM Cologne?

In addition to the relegation matches, IEM Cologne will host a few games leading to the tournament's semi-finals. One of these matches will be the meeting between NaVi and Movistar Riders. So, who will make it to the final?

Maps

Map veto looks predictable and balanced. Permabans of both teams cross out the strong maps of the opponent, and the remaining maps make the veto map very equal. Therefore, both teams will have chances to win on all cards of the match. The most likely veto options: Mirage-Inferno-Nuke, Inferno-Mirage-Ancient.

The Shape

Both teams are in incredible form. NaVi recently won the Blast Premier Spring Final and didn't lose a single match. At the same time, they still continue to perform with stand-in, who will most likely remain in the team permanently. However, this same stand-in can be a problem in the match. Sdy is still the weak link of the roster, but even with average play from the rifler, the team looks very strong.

At the same time, Movistar Riders are also surprising with their shape. The Spaniards did not lose a single match at IEM Cologne, starting the tournament from the Play-In stage. Of course, NaVi is one of the best teams in the world, but Movistar Riders have already beaten Vitality, G2, and Outsiders, which also seemed impossible. The only thing that could prevent the Spaniards is the mindset. After the victory over Vitality, Movistar Riders celebrated the victory for a very long time due to getting into the playoffs. Therefore, they have much less motivation to beat NaVi, because they will definitely play on stage.

Conclusions

The match looks exceptionally even. Perhaps NaVi looks a little bit stronger, but it may seem so because of the achievements of the CIS team. Detailed pre-match statistics can be viewed here.