Astralis eliminate Team Liquid from the StarLadder Berlin Major

Team Liquid, the top-ranked CS:GO squad at the StarLadder Berlin Major, have been knocked out of the tournament.

Astralis beat Liquid 2-0 today in the Major quarterfinals and are now the best-ranked team still alive in the competition. The Danes won, but both teams delivered a great series for CS:GO fans around the world.

Astralis opted for Vertigo, a map that’s far from a safe choice for any CS:GO team. But their pick completely paid off and Astralis won 16-8, dominating Liquid in the second half after a disputed first half. Nicolai “device” Reedtz and Peter “dupreeh” Rasmussen, Astralis’ famous duo, finished with 47 kills.

Liquid played better on Overpass and even won the first half 9-6. The Danes showed their best form on the T-side, though, to win the game 16-13. Emil
“Magisk” Reif was the top fragger with 27 kills, but device nailed the most important clutch of the map in a one-vs-three scenario.

Liquid have been the best team in the world since they won their second big tournament of the season, DreamHack Masters Dallas in June. Winning the Major would’ve certainly crowned their own era. Russel “Twistzz” Van Dulken admitted in the post-match interview that Liquid’s practice ahead of the Major didn’t work out as well as expected.

Astralis, on the other hand, felt very satisfied after the victory—especially dupreeh, who wanted to prevent Liquid from getting a Major victory. But the Danes will have to beat another North American team, NRG, in order to qualify for the grand finals.

They’re less likely to feel the pressure in the next round, though, since every other team will be playing their first semifinal matchup tomorrow. Renegades and AVANGAR will play first at 8am CT and Astralis vs. NRG will start at 11:30am CT.

You can keep up with the StarLadder Berlin Major playoff results here.