Team Liquid eliminated by Astralis from the Berlin Major

The Danes came in with an ingenious map veto, picking to play on Liquid’s 100% win rate Vertigo in the first game. Cerebral AWPing from Nicolai “dev1ce” Reedtz and on-point rifling from Peter “dupreeh” Rasmussen shut down Team Liquid hard and Astralis gave their opponents just one round in the second half to win Vertigo with a clean 16-8. Astralis won the highlight quarterfinal of the StarLadder Berlin Major against tournament favorites Team Liquid. The face-off was hyped as the meeting between the best teams of 2018 and 2019, with Liquid being the ones to take over the Astralis era and create their own. Game 2 was Overpass, Liquid’s pick, but even there the North Americans looked timid and allowed Astralis to make aggressive, contact plays. Emil “Magisk” Reif was the star player for the Danes, and the entry fragger put on 28 kills and 1.48 rating.

Team Liquid gave it their best and for a moment an OT was in sights, but Astralis’ T side was unforgiving and Liquid could not muster a defence convincing enough to stop the Danes. Team Liquid gave it their best and for a moment an OT was in sights, but Astralis’ T side was unforgiving and Liquid could not muster a defence convincing enough to stop the Danes. Game 2 was Overpass, Liquid’s pick, but even there the North Americans looked timid and allowed Astralis to make aggressive, contact plays. Emil “Magisk” Reif was the star player for the Danes, and the entry fragger put on 28 kills and 1.48 rating. On both maps, the Liquid players lacked their characteristic firepower and only Jonathan “EliGE” Jablonowski put on a positive K/D rating and even star fraggers Keith “NAF” Markovic and Russel “Twistzz” Van Dulken couldn’t put on a positive rating on the server. With the biggest favorite out of the tournament, the Berlin Major trophy is up in the air. Having beaten Liquid, Astralis look threatening as they are on the verge of breaking multiple records: becoming the first four-time Major winners and the first team to take three in a row. At the same time, NRG Esports, which will be Astralis’ next opponent, have been in top form the entire tournament and just ousted NaVi from the major.