Movistar Riders won the final playoff spot up for grabs in the ESL Pro League Season17 Group B, securing the fourth slot in the group through the last chance bracket with a 2-1 triumph over BIG. The Spaniards entered the competition with a number of Ls in their recent results, but they were able to perform at their peak on LAN in crucial moments to advance to the next rounds of ESL’s flagship league.
Game opener
In the decisive series, Movistar Riders quickly began striking on their chosen Vertigo map, showcasing their talent for settling into games right away. It didn’t last though, as they were only able to win two games after leading 7-2 and fell just shy of double digits at the break, demonstrating their failures to switch things up when teams get adapted to them.
The situation on the CT side didn’t improve as BIG expanded a 2-0 start. They held the Spanish economically and tactically on the ropes, conceding just one before reaching match point at 15-12. Karim #Krimbo Moussa was BIG’s best player with 29 kills and a 1.71 rating when map ended in 29th round, 16-13.
BIG got off to a 3-0 dream start on the offensive side of Nuke, but Movistar Riders forced the German team to draw the brakes, tying the game 3-3 with firearms in a half that ultimately turned out to be a tight contest between two teams. Alejandro #Alex Masanet called a flawless A strike and followed it up with three SMG kills and a knife, but the half once more reverted to the mean, and an inch-by-inch battle began. Pere #sausol Solsona Saumell responded with a powerful three-kill round following a critical 4v4 recapture by BIG on the A site to go up 12-11. Riders ultimately performed the best on the T side and won the race 16-12 in the 28th round.
Movistar Riders, who have occasionally battled to find their finest form on the CT side, took the bull by the horns despite a 0-2 start on the final map of the series, on Ancient. With every player contributing occasionally, they force-bought their way to win in the third round and never looked back, dominating the half 12-3.
Although BIG began acting aggressively by shooting the corpses of deceased opponents after tight rounds on the recovery route, a successful B attack placed the Riders well on their way to triumph as they struck 14 in the following round. However, it was short-lived as the Spanish ended a three-round winning streak to reach match point. In the face of a forcebuy, they were unable to finish the game, and they were forced to wait four rounds before ending the series, 16-8 with a rapid A forcebuy of their own.
What’s next?
The final set of eight teams will battle in Group C of the ESL Pro League Season 17 from March 8-12. FaZe, Ninjas in Pyjamas, OG and Vitality lead the group, which also includes two Brazilian teams and two teams from Oceania.
