Groups or elimination? Important matches for Liquid, Astralis at IEM Cologne 2025
The fate of the tournament hangs in the balance for many games today! If five victorious teams emerge, they will go head-to-head with the top Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) squads globally.
At IEM Cologne 2025, the Play-In stage may seem preliminary, but it’s brimming with top-notch esports excitement. After two days, several teams have bid farewell to the competition while others moved on to the Group stages. Now, it’s time for the final round of matches deciding advancement and elimination.
On Day 3 of IEM Cologne 2025, some major CS:GO esports figures clash. Team Liquid came close to beating FaZe Clan, although they faltered in the third game, North America’s Team Liquid still has potential for more progress. Astralis seems to be returning to elite Counter-Strike play. TYLOO is eager to demonstrate that their recent victory was no fluke.
- Astralis vs FURIA — 1:30 p.m. CEST / 7:30 a.m. ET
- Virtus.pro vs HEROIC — 5 p.m. CEST / 11 a.m. ET, Stream B
- Team Liquid vs FlyQuest — 5 p.m. CEST / 11 a.m. ET
- 3DMAX vs TYLOO — 6:30 p.m. CEST / 12:30 p.m. ET, Stream B
- Astralis/FURIA vs BIG/paiN Gaming — 6:30 p.m. CEST / 12:30 p.m. ET
Where to watch Day 3 matches at IEM Cologne 2025 Play-In: Stream
Three matches of Play-In Day 3 are on the main IEM Cologne 2025 stream: it’s embedded below.
Final results of the Play-In stage at CS2 IEM Cologne 2025
In this segment, we’ve condensed the outcomes from five preliminary matches. Which teams will proceed to the Group Stage at the Counter-Strike 2 Esports IEM Cologne 2025?
Astralis 0:0 FURIA — Match result
| Map | Score | Winners |
|---|---|---|
| 1, TBD | Astralis 0:0 FURIA | TBD |
| 2, TBD | Astralis 0:0 FURIA | TBD |
| 3, TBD, decider | Astralis 0:0 FURIA | TBD |
Lately, Astralis has been absent from the peak of the largest CS2 esports competitions. They opted out of the Austin Major 2025. However, they managed to advance to the final of FISSURE Playground #1 a few days prior to the Cologne tournament, only to be defeated by TYLOO. In their first game, Astralis triumphed against B8 with a score of 2:0.
At the Austin Major, FURIA put up an impressive performance and made it to the top 8. However, they faced defeat at the hands of their Brazilian counterparts from paiN Gaming. In Cologne, FURIA managed to outplay FlyQuest, but the game was so close that it left them uneasy.
Virtus.pro 0:0 HEROIC — Match result
| Map | Score | Winners |
|---|---|---|
| 1, TBD | Virtus.pro 0:0 HEROIC | TBD |
| 2, TBD | Virtus.pro 0:0 HEROIC | TBD |
| 3, TBD, decider | Virtus.pro 0:0 HEROIC | TBD |
From a promising start against TYLOO to a disastrous turn in their battle against GamerLegion, it seems like Virtus.pro’s luck in Counter-Strike has been lacking this year. The introduction of Perfecto to the team hasn’t seemed to yield positive results thus far. So far in 2025, their best performance has been reaching the top 6 at IEM Katowice.
In their initial match at IEM Cologne 2025, HEROIC was defeated by NiP, but they managed to outplay MIBR to secure another opportunity for qualifying in the Groups. Most recently, this team has reached the top 8 at Intel Extreme Masters Dallas 2025 and knocked out FaZe during their run. Notably, the organization has undergone some roster changes since the Austin Major; gr1ks and coach TOBIZ are the latest additions.
Team Liquid 0:0 FlyQuest — Match result at IEM Cologne 2025
| Map | Score | Winners |
|---|---|---|
| 1, TBD | Team Liquid 0:0 FlyQuest | TBD |
| 2, TBD | Team Liquid 0:0 FlyQuest | TBD |
| 3, TBD, decider | Team Liquid 0:0 FlyQuest | TBD |
During their match against FaZe, Team Liquid offered an exhilarating ride of highs and lows. On Inferno, they displayed a commendable performance, but they struggled significantly on Nuke. Their bid to reclaim the title of the best Counter-Strike team is currently in jeopardy. Achieving a top 6 finish at IEM Melbourne 2025 might be seen as a respectable accomplishment given their current state.
At IEM Cologne 2025, FlyQuest experienced two nail-bitingly close encounters, both requiring extra time. They fell short against FURIA but managed to beat B8. Their upcoming battle with Liquid presents an opportunity for FlyQuest to fully showcase their hidden abilities – a hint of which was seen in their clash against FaZe during BLAST Rivals Spring 2025.
3DMAX 0:0 TYLOO — Match result
| Map | Score | Winners |
|---|---|---|
| 1, TBD | 3DMAX 0:0 TYLOO | TBD |
| 2, TBD | 3DMAX 0:0 TYLOO | TBD |
| 3, TBD, decider | 3DMAX 0:0 TYLOO | TBD |
3DMAX kicked off their last tournament clash against NiP strongly, but struggled to maintain the momentum during the second halves, resulting in their elimination. This setback has left the team feeling uneasy. Notably, 3DMAX has consistently managed to reach the top 12 at three previous IEM tournaments: Katowice, Melbourne, and Dallas.
On July 20, TYLOO clinched the victory in FISSURE Playground #1, but their initial performance in Cologne’s first tournament day seemed disorganized, resulting in a loss to Virtus.pro. However, they managed to defeat Complexity afterwards. Unfortunately, the remainder of 2025 does not appear promising for the Chinese team as they placed 20th–22nd at the BLAST Austin Major, which is less than ideal.
Astralis/FURIA 0:0 BIG/paiN Gaming — Match result
| Map | Score | Winners |
|---|---|---|
| 1, TBD | Astralis/FURIA 0:0 BIG/paiN Gaming | TBD |
| 2, TBD | Astralis/FURIA 0:0 BIG/paiN Gaming | TBD |
| 3, TBD, decider | Astralis/FURIA 0:0 BIG/paiN Gaming | TBD |
Today decides who will play in this match, as the fate of those losing between Astralis and FURIA is set here. Victory in their elimination game means a reward for both BIG and paiN Gaming.
On the first day of CS2 esports IEM Cologne 2025, BIG was defeated by FaZe Clan. Their best performance this year has been a 9th to 11th place finish at PGL Cluj-Napoca 2025. Meanwhile, paiN Gaming started off their tournament with a loss against Team Liquid. However, they had made it into the top 4 at BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025, which sets high hopes among fans.
At Intel Extreme Masters Cologne 2025, the Group stage will continue from July 26 to July 29. Following this, the playoffs will take place on Aug.1 and Aug. 3. During these final matches, the top 6 teams will compete in front of a live audience. This Counter-Strike 2 event is proudly sponsored for betting purposes by an official partner, who will emphasize odds throughout their streaming coverage.
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2025-07-25 13:12