AVANGAR and Renegades score big upsets in CS:GO StarLadder Berlin Major Quarterfinals

ENCE and Vitality lose out to the underdogs.

Yesterday’s first round of Quarterfinals at the CS:GO StarLadder Berlin Major delivered some big upsets. Australian underdogs Renegades eliminated Finnish favourites ENCE from the tournament, and in the final match of the evening, AVANGAR defeated French veterans Vitality.

In the first match of the day, Renegades went up against ENCE on Mirage in an incredibly one-sided affair. It was all Renegades from start to finish, and they took the map with a convincing 16-5 scoreline.

ENCE seemed to bounce back on the next map, Nuke, having secured an early 9-6 lead on the T-side. Unfortunately for their Finnish fans, it didn’t last long. Renegades secured the pistol round, and turned the match on its head, calmly securing a 12-16 win and their first-ever spot in the semi-finals of a Major.

Vitality started off strong against AVANGAR in the second matchup of the day, having taken control of Mirage on the T-side. As the teams switched sides, Vitality’s individual performances suddenly fell apart, while AVANGAR stepped it up a gear.

AVANGAR’s “SANJI” and “Jame” were a key part of their impenetrable CT defence, and helped them roll towards a swift 16-9 victory.

Momentum wasn’t on AVANGAR’s side when moving onto the second map Inferno, though. Vitality’s superstar “ZywoO” had found his form, and when this happens, there’s not much anyone can do. It wasn’t long before Vitality took Inferno.

The third and final map, Dust II was a largely disappointing finale. AVANGAR completely crushed Vitality on the T-side and the French team simply couldn’t find any answers on the CT side, eventually losing out 16-10.

Both Renegades and AVANGAR move onto the semi-finals stage on 7th September. Na’Vi, NRG, Astralis, and Liquid will be fighting for their spots today from 14:00 BST, so keep an eye on our StarLadder Berlin Major 2019 guide for all the results.