Astralis top Group C in ESL One Pro League after a close win over Fnatic

In the end, it was the narrowest of margins which separated the Danes from Golden’s resurgent side, as two 16-14 wins on Inferno and Train confirmed Astralis’ spot in the Pro League finals. Fnatic will progress to the second round alongside North after yet another impressive display since their lineup adjustment.

It was by far the most anticipated matchup of the day as the Scandinavian derby which served as a reenactment of the DreamHack Masters Malmö semi-finals. There, it was Fnatic who triumphed 2-0 in close fashion on their way to winning the title, but this time they were on the receiving end of such a defeat, where – once again – the score count itself doesn’t tell the full story. Both maps were decided by the narrowest of possible margins in regulation, with Astralis taking a 16-14 win on each occasion.

With this win, they are now qualified for the finals of the Pro League while Fnatic and North will continue in the second group stage. Kjaerbye and co. secured their spot with a win over Aristocracy in their decider match. Though they’ve scored a comfortable 16-12 on Nuke as the opening map, a 16-8 defeat on Train followed, which seemed to indicate a finely poised series and a close third map. Instead, it was a 16-0 blowout on Overpass off the back of a flawless CT side, pushing the Poles into the relegation battle.

Over in the North American division, Team Liquid also secured their spot at the finals with a 2-0 win over Renegades. The Aussies will live to fight another day in the second group stage thanks to wins over ATK and Singularity.