Heroic and NiP defeat ENCE and Vitality in Cologne openers

Heroicbeat ENCE in their opening match in Cologne on Mirage, 16-10, while NiP did the same with Vitality on Dust2, also 16-10.

A play on the B site of Mirage by ENCE with three opening frags by Jere "⁠sergej⁠" Salo and a double by Sami "⁠xseveN⁠" Laasanen gave the Finns the first round. Heroic were able to win the first gun round as Patrick "⁠es3tag⁠" Hansen was able to take out Jani "⁠Aerial⁠" Jussila in a 1vs1, which the danes were able to follow up to push ENCE into an eco round. Heroic then took a 6-3 lead before a three-kill afterplant clutch by Aleksi "⁠allu⁠" Jalli got ENCE back on the board. ENCE followed it up, but Heroic were able to close out the half 10-5.

The second half started out with an A hit by Heroic, who were able to win the round with a triple by es3tag to inch closer to the finish line. ENCE bought on the third round and were able to stop the Danes in a 2vs2 afterplant situation on B to keep the game alive. Heroic got to 14-7 on a three-kill round by Niels-Christian "⁠NaToSaphiX⁠" Sillassen, and made it to match point after losing three rounds. The Danes then didn’t give up any of their five match points, as they went on to close the map and match out, 16-10, sending ENCE to the lower bracket.

An A hit by NiP with five players taking Long control gave the Swedes the first round on Dust2 against Vitality. The French team were able to tie it up the next round, however, as Alex "⁠ALEX⁠" McMeekin and Dan "⁠apEX⁠" Madesclaire got a full house to gain the economic advantage. Three opening frags by Fredrik "⁠REZ⁠" Sterner got NiP back on the board in the fifth round before the two teams won one each, but it was eventually the French team that came out ahead, winning the half 10-5.

NiP won the two first rounds on the CT side. A double by REZ with a UMP in the first gun round kept the Ninjas on a roll, who were able to keep going and take the lead as Vitality hit a wall on every offensive. With Vitality unable to win a single round on the attacking side, NiP got on match point and closed the map 16-10.