by in
Team Spirit survived a gruelling three-map battle against Eternal Fire to secure a spot in the ESL Pro League Season 21 semifinals.
In a rematch of their BLAST Bounty Spring Final showdown, where Spirit dominated after an initial setback, the Russian Counter-Strike side faced a much tougher challenge this time around.
Despite a slow start from Danil “donk” Kryshkovets, the overwhelming favourite with esports betting sites managed to grind out a crucial win on Nuke, thanks to an outstanding performance from in-game leader Leonid “chopper” Vishnyakov.
His offensive heroics saved Spirit from letting an 11-5 lead slip away, a scenario that nearly unravelled when Eternal Fire mounted a comeback.
Anubis proved to be a different story, as Eternal Fire controlled the first half and comfortably closed out the map while donk struggled to find his usual impact.
.@Team__Spirit advance to the Semi Finals after defeating @eternalfirecs2 2:1 at #ESLProLeague S21
19-15 Nuke
10-13 Anubis
13-7 Mirage pic.twitter.com/ypJ2r8aLkQ— ESL Counter-Strike (@ESLCS) March 13, 2025
However, when it mattered most on Mirage, he returned to form, leading Spirit to a decisive victory.
Although donk finished the series with the highest rating on his team, he was visibly frustrated with his early performances.
Caught out in duels and suffering uncharacteristic mechanical mistakes, the young star was emotional after Spirit’s failed comeback attempt on Anubis.
“It was a tough game, really tough,” donk admitted.
“I played really bad, what can I say? I wasn’t doing the things that I’m doing usually, so the game got much harder than it should be.”
While Eternal Fire had opportunities to close the series in two maps—most notably squandering two map points on Nuke—they ultimately fell short.
Ismailcan “XANTARES” Dörtkardeş shone on Anubis, but his impact faded on Mirage, leaving Spirit with a clear path to victory.
Samet “jottAAA” Köklü was the standout player for the Turkish side, delivering a stellar 31-23 performance on Nuke and winning a critical 1v3 clutch.
However, without consistent support from Özgür “woxic” Eker and XANTARES, Eternal Fire couldn’t convert their chances.
MOUZ became the second team to reach the semifinals after a hard-fought win over G2 Esports.
Despite a shaky start, they overcame a 9-11 deficit on Ancient to complete their comeback.
G2’s inefficiency in closing out rounds cost them dearly, particularly on Inferno, where they managed just five rounds on offence despite winning two 1v3 clutches.
Nemanja “huNter-” Kovač sparked a resurgence with a key MP9 double kill, helping his team flip a 5-9 deficit into a 13-11 victory.
.@mousesports reverse sweep @G2CSGO to reach the semi finals at #ESLProLeague Season 21
11-13 Inferno
13-8 Nuke
13-11 Ancient pic.twitter.com/Y5kaqpNTtW— ESL Counter-Strike (@ESLCS) March 13, 2025
After a one-sided loss on Nuke, G2 forced a decider on Ancient, where Ilya “m0NESY” Osipov and huNter- delivered crucial clutches.
However, MOUZ’s resilience prevailed, and they punished G2’s low-buy attempts late in the game to close out the series.
MOUZ have now won five consecutive matches on Nuke, an encouraging sign as they prepare to face Spirit.
The Russian squad’s struggles to close out Nuke against Eternal Fire could play into MOUZ’s hands as they look to exploit any vulnerabilities.
“I don’t think Spirit looked the sharpest today against Eternal Fire, so we’ll see how they come up on Saturday,” said Lotan “Spinx” Giladi ahead of the semi-final clash.
“I think we have a really good chance.”
The ESL Pro League Season 21 playoffs will continue on Friday, when Team Vitality take on Team Liquid before Natus Vincere clash with The MongolZ.
