The group stage of the final CS:GO Major in Paris is now over and eight teams remain in the fight for the final CS:GO crown.
The Paris Major is slowly but surely moving towards its climax now that the second group stage is also over. Which of the eight remaining CS:GO teams has the best chance of winning the title?
Favourites die in Paris
The last CS:GO Major has had more than enough surprises up its sleeve so far. MOUZ was knocked out early on in the Challengers Stage before G2, NAVI, Fnatic, NiP, Furia and ENCE were all knocked out early on in the Legends Stage.
Instead, unfamiliar names like Monte, GamerLegion, Apeks and Into the Breach made it to the final eight:
Vive la France, Vive Vitality?
So which team now has the best chance of winning the title?
Top favourite is without question Team Vitality. This is not only supported by the number 1 position in the world rankings at the moment, but also by the expected frenetic support of the home crowd for ZywOo and apEX. Another plus point not to be underestimated is the “easier” way to the final.
THE ARENA WILL BE YELLOW ON THURSDAY 🟡⚫️
Some tickets for thursday are still available for the moment! Don”t miss this historic opportunity VitalityforParis pic.twitter.com/iPOcc4uVqW
– Team Vitality 🐝 (@TeamVitality) May 16, 2023
In the quarter-finals Vitality awaits the British surprise team Into The Breach, after a win ZywOo & Co. would have to deal with the winner between Apeks and Team Liquid. All more than manageable tasks for the team. This is probably the best chance ZywOo has had to finally get his hands on his long-awaited Major.
As a bonus on top, it would have more than poetic flair if Dupreeh, the only player to have been to all the majors, not only takes the final title at the Paris Major but could also crown himself the sole record holder as a five-time major winner.
FaZe vs Heroic
The other two favourites already meet in the quarter-finals: FaZe Clan and Heroic. However, the path to the playoffs could not have been more different. While Heroic was able to qualify directly for the second group stage and then easily made it with 3-0, FaZe had to fight until the end.
So the team around karrigan not only had to go through the Last Chance Qualifier, but also the way to the playoffs was difficult. In the Challengers Stage they had already lost to ENCE, and in the Legends Stage they had to make a great comeback against NAVI in the deciding match before FaZe could fight their way through with a 3-2 win.
Mentality MONSTERS @FaZeClan BLASTTVMajor pic.twitter.com/ObfRCCdr5X
– HLTV.org (@HLTVorg) May 16, 2023
All this in itself makes Heroic the second big favourite for the title. But FaZe Clan also proved with this difficult path that they are absolute mental monsters. So how exactly the quarter-finals will turn out is uncertain.
Both teams have good chances and will then also go into the semi-final against the winner of Monte vs GamerLegion as favourites.
Chances for the underdogs?
The three teams mentioned are clear favourites for the title, but there have already been so many surprises in Paris that the “smaller” teams should not be underestimated either.
Not only Team Liquid, who continue to fly the flag for North America, have solid underdog chances. GamerLegion, Monte, Apeks and Into The Breach have more than earned their place in the playoffs. Monte, for example, has already outclassed s1mples NAVI in the Legends Stage and is certainly more than motivated to send more big names home.
We are definitely looking forward to exciting matches and a thrilling final to end the CS:GO era.
