G2 Eliminate NiKo’s Team Falcons From IEM Katowice
The veto process began with Falcons removing Anubis, while G2 opted to eliminate Train. Falcons then chose Ancient as their map pick, while G2 went with Dust2. Falcons decided to remove Inferno, and G2 followed by taking out Nuke. Mirage was left as the decider.
Team Falcons opened the series on Ancient with an early pistol round win but quickly faltered as G2 struck back. What followed was a tense exchange of rounds, with neither side managing to break away. Despite this, the Saudi team managed to hold a slim lead heading into the second half. However, their advantage quickly evaporated as they lost the pistol round and the subsequent round, allowing G2 to take control. Struggling to contain the relentless offensive pressure, Falcons found themselves overwhelmed, and G2 led by malbsMD secured a 13-9 victory.
On Dust2, Falcons delivered a statement performance, catching G2 off guard with a convincing start. G2’s offensive half was disastrous, yielding just three rounds as Falcons maintained firm control. Though G2 found a better rhythm after switching sides, the deficit proved too large to overcome. Falcons leveraged their cushion to see the game through, with degster standing out as the best performer with an impressive 1.89 impact rating. With a 13-7 scoreline, Falcons evened the series and forced a decider.
Momentum seemed to favor Falcons heading into Mirage, and they carried that energy into the first half, suffocating G2 on defense. NiKo led his team to an 8-4 advantage by halftime, but G2 adjusted after switching to their T side and found their footing. Initially struggling, m0nesy soon came alive, making full use of the space created by his teammates. Falcons tried to maintain their lead, but G2’s aggression disrupted their setups. With mid-round frags and well-coordinated plays, G2 gradually chipped away at the deficit. Falcons failed to capitalize on their early success, allowing G2 to mount an impressive comeback and close the series with a nail-biting 13-11 victory.
G2 will now face FaZe on February 3.
What did NiKo say?
In a post-match interview, NiKo stated that “I’m super disappointed. We are still a new team and knew it would be a tough event, we faced a very hot EF and G2 are one of the best teams in the world”.
