IEM Cologne 2023 Quarter-Finals Review | Astralis Rise To The Occasion

We’re now down to four teams in the Cathedral of Counter-Strike, as Vitality and Astralis emerged victorious in the IEM Cologne Quarter-Finals for 2023. We’re looking at Vitality vs Cloud9 and Heroic vs Astralis, to see what happened between these amazing IEM Cologne teams.

Vitality Get The Job Done

Vitality began the IEM Cologne 2023 Playoffs by delivering a professional performance against Cloud9, defeating the new roster 2:0. It would have been a massive ask for Cloud9 to overcome Vitality, considering they’ve played the tournament so far without Ax1Le. He was available for this matchup, but without practice, it was too little too late.

Despite all the noise about Vitality’s achievements prior to the Summer break, it was newbie flameZ who popped off here. He carried them through the opener on Mirage, just in time for ZywOo to activate on map two.

It’s hard to look too much into this Cloud9 defeat. It’s the earliest of days for this new team, and at times it seemed like sh1ro was doing his best to win the tie on his own. That’s to be expected while they get their bearings together. We expect to see massive progress going forward, but we’re a very long way away from hitting the panic button yet.

Given the IEM Cologne teams left remaining, it’s fair to say that Vitality would be favorites for most to go on and win the whole thing. On this evidence, you’d be hard-pressed to doubt them. They just look so calculated, and with the ZywOo x-factor, the IEM Cologne Quarter-Finals can be just the start of this journey.

Astralis Shake Heroic

Pre-match, it was pitched as a duel between the Danes. Heroic, with their reputation as arguably the number one CS:GO team in the world. And Astralis, a team back on the right track after years of mediocrity.

On the surface, this duel of Danish IEM Cologne teams should only have had one winner – Heroic. Instead, Astralis confirmed that the Kings are back in town, defeating Heroic in a comprehensive 2:0. This wasn’t a match defined by thin margins, either. Astralis surgically deconstructed Heroic’s approach to the IEM Cologne Quarter-Finals, delivering a beatdown of epic proportions.

Prior to the game, Heroic’s sjuush claimed the team had to “do everything right,” but on the server, they proved to do anything but. It was Astralis who had the big moments of magic, with Buzz’ remarkable 1v3 the highlight in what could prove to be a coming-of-age clutch for the youngster.

This Astralis roster was met with much criticism when it was initially revealed during the Summer. They’ve already proved those doubters wrong, and only one question remains. Just how far can they go now? No matter what, they can be proud of their Cologne run so far.

IEM Cologne Semi-Final Clashes

With the IEM Cologne Quarter-Finals now complete, attention moves swiftly toward the Semi-Final matchups. This is the full schedule for the IEM Cologne Semi-Finals:

Up first is ENCE vs Vitality. Most would see Vitality winners of this 10/10 times, but ENCE have established themselves as the perfect underdogs. They went all the way to the trophy at IEM Dallas 2023, and a second victory is definitely plausible. If you’re someone who likes to root for the underdog, you can head to GG.Bet where you can find odds for the IEM Cologne 2023 Semi-Final available online now. GG.Bet has unique markets for you to place your bets, meaning it’s perfect for dedicated CS:GO esports fans who really know their stuff. Its embedded streams mean that it’s perfect for those who don’t know how to watch IEM Cologne, as they can watch and bet at the same time.

GG.Bet are also offering odds for Astralis vs G2, too. According to GG.Bet, G2 enter the match as slight favorites, although this story will be defined by which version of the team appears on the day. If G2 arrive in their best form, they’re undoubtedly stronger than Astralis, even if the Danes have improved of late. But if G2 of the last few months rears their ugly heads, then Astralis have a real chance of going the distance.