The PGL Major Antwerp 2022 has started and will last until the 22nd of May when we’ll find out which squad will be the champion for this year. The expectations are high and many legendary organizations have gathered together in the same place to prove what we all want to know – what is the best CSGO team right now?
PGL Major Antwerp 2022
The format of the tournament is pretty standard for the CSGO events – 16 teams, 8 playoff spots – and only 1 champion at the end of the road. Some of the huge names in this tournament are Astralis, FaZe Clan, G2, and Liquid, who will be disappointed with anything less than a title.
While some of the matchups are still to be played, today we bring you the analysis of the ones that have been finished, and what that means for the ones that are yet to come.
Team Liquid vs G2 Esports
This matchup could easily be called duel of the titans. No wonder Team Liquid and G2 were at the center of the audience's attention during the 1st stage.
G2 was able to defeat Liquid led by the recently resigned Niko and huNter, who both had a shiny performance and proved why they were offered new multi-year contracts. The map of choice was Inferno, which means neither of the teams had much of an advantage since they’re both comfortable playing it.
At the very end, Liquid managed to get a couple of consecutive kills while pursuing a comeback, but that just wasn’t enough for G2 who was playing like a well-oiled machine and acquired a nice boost of confidence for the next round.
forZe vs Renegades
On paper, this match was not as attractive as the one above, but things went completely different in practice. Team forZe put on a blast for the audience, dominating the Renegades with a streak of 10 consecutive wins.
What may have contributed to their victorious run was the fact that the playing map was Mirage, which is known to bring success to this team. It will be very interesting to see how both of these squads will respond to the circumstances of the 1st round, and how will they affect their future matchups.
IHC vs Astralis
Nothing new under the Sun – Astralis were able to defeat the IHC as everyone expected them to. The favored team showed true professionalism by taking care of the matter in the earliest round and not allowing IHC to come even close to bouncing back.
The way they handled the 1st stage, Astralis is one of the wisest choices when it comes to placing bets.
Imperial vs Team Spirit
Although not the biggest names of the 1st stage, Imperial and gave us a great throwdown and were tough until the very end. Both teams started well as they chose the Dust2 map, which both are very familiar with. However, team Spirit was able to capitalize on certain deciding points of the game, which later lead to them deserving the victory.
Conclusion
PGL Major Antwerp has just begun and we have already seen some great fireworks. In case you have missed the first round, buckle up for the next one because the way things are now, we are in for a spectacle.
