Vitality and G2 take the final playoffs berths - BLAST Open Porto recap

G2 came out on top in a crazy game of Counter-Strike to book a spot in Porto over Aurora.

There were too many moments in this game, but MATYS failing to pick up the bomb in a 1v1 and losing the round on time to take Inferno to double overtime might be the best indicator of how mad this game got.

Aurora looked in total control on Anubis and racked up nine CT rounds, which is very rare at the top level, and had G2 looking like they hadn't played Anubis since it came out, really. That was a comfortable map, and one that seemed to set them up to take this crucial series. Jimpphat is quickly becoming integral to this team; though Wicadia was pretty key to this map as well, it was Jimpphat whose CT side impact really made this a simple win.

Inferno, though, was just crazy. There were too many chaotic, unexplainable rounds, as is customary for G2, but they came out on top in just enough to take it 19-16. r1nkle - who again looked the part on this team - put down four with the AK to put G2 on map point in first overtime, before the aforementioned fumble from MATYS.

G2 mustered up the strength to win it in double OT, and then all of a sudden turned into prime Astralis on Mirage.

Actually, prime Astralis were famously bad on Mirage. But you know what we mean.

G2 took eleven on the T side as they obliterated Aurora, and r1nkle himself pulled off one of the rounds of the year, albeit one Aurora won't want to see back.

G2 won this map 13-1, and booked their spot in the playoffs.

They were joined by Vitality, who didn't let their recent struggles affect them as they coasted past FUT in what looked like a very tricky game on paper.

xfl0ud had a rare off-game, and you don't get to have off-games against Vitality. They will kill you, and so they did; the French duo of apEX and ZywOo put FUT in the blender and showed what top level experience can do for you.

A pretty normal - for ZywOo, anyway - 1v3 clutch changed the course of the game in the first half of Anubis as FUT could have run away with it, but that clutch made it an even half at the end, and Vitality instead cut through them on their T side to win the game. After that first half, Vitality won 16 rounds out of a possible 20 on their T side over two maps, and completely ran over FUT. FUT's T sides were fine, but their defence was porous.

Vitality take the final spot in the playoffs, but FUT miss out after such an impressive EWC.

Spirit's star duo put the hurt on FURIA as they bagged a semi-finals place in a simple 2-0.

sh1ro and donk combined for 75 kills over the two maps, with KSCERATO and molodoy only managing 41. That's pretty telling.

Ancient was the donk show, as he carried Spirit in very familiar fashion, but he was barely needed on Cache as tN1R and sh1ro took over and won it before donk really got started. donk's double on 4HP in the first map underlined quite how much he was feeling it today, and when he's in that nick you don't ever have a chance of winning it.

FURIA are beginning to tail off, and it's quite sad to see.

Spirit will be joined by MOUZ, who continue their reign of group stage terror, toppling Falcons with the help of their two new young'uns.

PR and xelex were a constant thorn in Falcons' side throughout the series, and were the driving force behind a win in the deciding map. Falcons started this series with a 10-2 half, and karrigan going crazy, but ended it with a whimper as they lost 13-3 on Inferno.

NiKo went 3-14. He hasn't carried this hard for MOUZ since the NiKosports days.