The reigning Major champions are now just one victory away from securing a playoff spot.
Natus Vincere clinched a place in the 2-2 pool of the Shanghai Major’s Elimination Stage after defeating GamerLegion 2-0. While the performance was far from their peak, the reigning champions rebounded effectively from their crushing loss to Spirit the day before, showcasing a dominant T side to secure the series victory.
Mihai “iM” Ivan, who has consistently been NAVI’s standout player during the Shanghai event, was instrumental in their success on Nuke, while Valeriy “b1t” Vakhovskiy took center stage on Mirage. On the other hand, Justinas “jL” Lekavicius struggled again, with his Major average sitting at a disappointing 0.83 rating. This inconsistency has left fans questioning whether the Lithuanian star can regain his form before Sunday’s high-stakes match.
Determined to make a statement, NAVI started strong on Nuke, quickly establishing a commanding 7-2 lead on the CT side. However, several of those early gun rounds were closely contested. GamerLegion seized momentum with a stunning 2v4 comeback led by Henrich “sl3nd” Hevesi, who secured three crucial AWP kills to put NAVI on the defensive.
After the break, GamerLegion maintained their momentum by taking the pistol round, narrowing the gap to just one round. However, NAVI responded forcefully with a successful force-buy, bolstered by a pivotal 1v1 clutch from iM that kept the team in control. From there, the game became one-sided, as NAVI dismantled GamerLegion’s defense to claim a convincing 13-6 victory.
Despite the setback, Erik “ztr” Gustafsson’s team entered Mirage unfazed, surging to an early 6-1 lead on the T side. Sl3nd continued to shine, pulling off an impressive 1v2 clutch on the B side to extend their advantage. As the game threatened to slip away, NAVI’s coach, Andrey “B1ad3” Gorodenskiy, called a timeout to regroup the team. The strategy shift immediately turned the tide, allowing NAVI to regain control for the remainder of the half.
Switching to the CT side, GamerLegion momentarily regained the lead with a flawless pistol round, but their advantage was short-lived. Once NAVI had rifles, their coordinated attacks proved unstoppable, dominating GamerLegion with a decisive 7-1 run. This commanding performance secured NAVI’s progression to the fifth round of the Swiss stage, keeping their playoff dreams alive.
