IEM Rio 2023 Day 2: Group Stage Match Review
The second day of IEM Rio 2023 has ended. While there were fewer games than on the first day, the competition was no less fierce. In this article, we’ll explore the key moments of the second day to find out which teams moved on to the Play-off and which ones have been eliminated from the tournament.
So sit back, relax, and prepare for an exhilarating overview of all the games from the second day of IEM Rio 2023!
In article you will find:
Group A: Overview & Highlights
As we mentioned earlier, the second day wasn’t as packed with matches as the first one, but there were plenty of emotions. In Group A, teams played only two games in the lower bracket, and we’ll talk about those now.
Ninjas in Pyjamas vs 9INE
Group A started with the NiP vs 9INE match, played as a classic Bo3. The teams battled it out on Vertigo, Mirage, and Overpass.
Vertigo
The Polish team picked Vertigo, which is one of their signature maps. In the first half of the game, the teams played equally, and it ended with a 7:8 score. But in the second half, 9INE turned the game around and won 8 rounds, securing a 16:9 victory. Here is the highlight of the map .
Mirage
NiP picked Mirage as the following map in their match. It’s not their signature map, but they played it confidently and managed to win with a 19:15 score in the first set of overtime. Here is the highlight of the map .
Overpass
Despite 9INE’s 70% win rate on Overpass, NiP dominated the first half by 12:3. And in the second half, NiP won with a final 16:12 score and eliminated the Polish team from IEM Rio 2023. Here is the highlight of the map .
. @NIPCS complete the reverse sweep against @9INEGG to eliminate them from #IEM Rio pic.twitter.com/EnEnRVxG5i
— HLTV.org (@HLTVorg) April 18, 2023
Heroic Vs The MongolZ
The second match in Group A was between MongolZ and Heroic. The teams played on Inferno, Overpass, and Mirage.
Inferno
MongolZ picked Inferno, but Heroic didn’t give them any chances and claimed victory on the first map with a 16:4 score. Here is the highlight of the map .
Overpass
The first half of the second map was a close fight, with Heroic leading 8:7. However, in the second half, they had to play with their coach, Richard “Xizt” Landström, as a substitute for Jacob “Jabbi” Nygaard, who suddenly felt unwell during the match. MongolZ won most of the rounds in the second half and secured the map with a 16:13 score.
how does Xizt join mid-game and start topfragging in his first official since 2020 💀
— HEROIC (@heroicgg) April 18, 2023
Here is the highlight of the map.
Mirage
Both teams play Mirage frequently and have decent win rates on it. But, surprisingly, Heroic, who replaced a player from the previous map, showed impressive results and closed the map by 16:6.
Here is the highlight of the map .
. @heroicgg eliminate TheMongolz to reach Group A lower bracket final #IEM pic.twitter.com/yUe1F4KnGD
— HLTV.org (@HLTVorg) April 19, 2023
Due to technical issues at the IEM Rio 2023 arena, Heroic and MongolZ played in complete darkness. You can feel this vibe in the photo below.
Late-night gaming vibes in Rio 🌃 #IEM pic.twitter.com/gb3g9qyVcM
— HLTV.org (@HLTVorg) April 19, 2023
Group B: Overview & Highlights
Now let’s move on to reviewing the results of the matches in Group B. There were also plenty of exciting matches and unexpected outcomes in this group.
FaZe Clan vs FURIA Esports
The teams picked these maps: Mirage, Nuke, and Ancient. However, FURIA won 2:0 and moved on to the Playoff Stage of the IEM Rio 2023.
Mirage
The teams played on Mirage. FURIA won ten rounds in the first half and easily took another six in the second half. The score of the first map was 16:8. Here is the highlight of the map .
Nuke
On the decisive map, the Brazilian team defeated their opponent with a score of 16:13. Here is the highlight of the map .
It is done. @FURIA overcome @FaZeClan 2-0 and make it to the #IEM Rio 2023 playoffs in front of the Brazilian crowd! 🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷
— Intel® Extreme Masters (@IEM) April 18, 2023
16-8 Mirage
16-13 Nuke pic.twitter.com/AWJydGew0g
OG vs Cloud9
OG picked Mirage, but they failed to defeat their opponents. Cloud9 won with a 16:14 score.
Mirage
OG picked Mirage, but they lost it. Cloud9 won with a 16:14 score. Here is the highlight of the map .
Overpass
On the decisive map, Cloud9 beat OG with a 16:14 score and secured a spot in the Playoff Stage. Here is the highlight of the map .
Cloud9 edge out OG to guarantee playoffs in Rio https://t.co/X3tP0p9xLy
— HLTV.org (@HLTVorg) April 19, 2023
9z Team vs Fnatic
Yesterday, most teams competed to secure their spots in the IEM Rio 2023. However, the 9z Team and Fnatic fought to stay in the tournament, as the loser would be eliminated from the event. Read to find out the outcome of the match.
Nuke
The teams clashed on Nuke, which was picked by 9z Team. If the first half of the battle could be considered even with a 9:6 score, 9z Team completely dominated their opponent with a 10:0 score in the second half. Here is the highlight of the map.
Overpass
After a failure in the previous map, Fnatic managed to win Overpass with a 16:3 score. Here is the highlight of the map .
Ancient
Fnatic won 11 out of 15 rounds in the first half of the second map. Although 9z Team tried to make a comeback after switching sides, Fnatic’s significant lead in the first half played a crucial role in the match. In the end, Fnatic won the third map with a 16:12 score. Here is the highlight of the map .
Team Vitality vs MIBR
Vitality and MIBR faced off in the lower bracket quarterfinals of Group B, where the winner advances to the tournament’s next stage while the loser is eliminated from the event. The teams picked the following maps for this match: Anubis, Nuke, and Vertigo. Vitality won with a 2:0 score.
Anubis
The map began with the French team playing on the CT side, and they could win only six rounds with a score of 6:9. However, Vitality managed to equalize the score and continued to dominate, winning the second half with a 10:2 score. In the end, Vitality emerged victorious on Anubis with a total 16:11 score. Here is the highlight of the map .
Nuke
In the first half of the map, the French team won 12 rounds as Terrorists and entered the second half with a significant advantage. The second half was more even, but thanks to their advantage in the first half and great defense, Vitality won the match 16:8. Here is the highlight of the map .
Based on the second day’s results, four teams are already advancing to the Playoff Stage.
Only 2 spots remain in the #IEM Rio 2023 playoffs 😬
— ESL Counter-Strike (@ESLCS) April 18, 2023
Who do you think is going to join @natusvincere , @BIGCLANgg , @FURIA & @C9CSGO ? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/mhTHg5Y1rj
Wrapping Up!
Four out of six teams playing in the IEM Rio 2023 Playoff Stage have already been determined. We remind you that the winner of this tournament will mark the start of a new race for the Intel Grand Slam Season 5. Read our article about FaZe Clan’s journey to their IGS 4 championship here .
Explore our blog for news in eSports to be at the center of the events and support your favorite teams at the IEM Rio 2023!