Outsiders and fnatic will meet as part of the starting quarter-finals of the IEM Katowice 2023 group stage. And here it is very interesting to watch the rivalry between two approximately equal teams that preach diametrically opposed styles.
At the same time, Outsiders has not yet shown in the new competitive season, having turned an interesting deal in the offseason. In turn, fnatic played three matches in the championship, one of which even lost.
If we recall face-to-face meetings, the Russian team outplayed KRIMZ and the company twice at IEM Rio Major 2022. And then Outsiders looked two heads stronger, winning four maps out of four.
And now there is a feeling that fnatic will not be able to cope with the Outsiders with their sharp style. Therefore, here I would take a closer look at the victory of the honey badgers, who have excellent chances to start the season on a positive note.
Form Outsiders
The fifth team of the world ranking began to gain momentum at the beginning of autumn, having won the optional, but psychologically important ESL Challenger Rotterdam 2022.
Then the Russian team came to IEM Rio Major 2022, where they created a real sensation and went through all the brackets from start to finish to take the championship into their piggy bank.
However, in the very ending, Outsiders completely failed at BLAST Premier World Final 2022, where they lost in a row to Team Liquid and G2 to take the last place. Well, then the team decided to make changes in the composition, about which it will be clear after the fact.
Latest Outsiders results:
- 2-0 victory over fnatic.
- Victory over MOUZ with a score of 2:1.
- Victory over Heroic with a score of 2:0.
- Lost to Team Liquid with a score of 1:2.
- Lost to G2 with a score of 0:2.
Best Outsiders cards:
- Inferno - 80% win rate.
- Mirage - 60% of wins.
- Overpass - 50% of wins.
Probably, the Russian team will continue to follow the logic and refuse the Nuke card.
fnatic form
The tenth team of the world ranking was in some way the opening of IEM Rio Major 2022, as it managed to get from the Challengers stage to the quarterfinals.
By the end of the season, fnatic became the winner of Elisa Masters Espoo 2022, where they not only lost in one BO1, but in general showed a confident game and smashed everyone, especially BIG in the grand final.
As for the performances at IEM Katowice 2023 Play-In, here the European team lost to OG, but also outplayed Evil Geniuses and MIBR in the class, getting into the group stage.
fnatic's latest results:
- Victory over Astralis with a score of 2:0.
- Victory over BIG with a score of 2:0.
- Victory over Evil Geniuses with a score of 16:8.
- Lost to OG with a score of 1:2.
- Victory over MIBR with a score of 2:0.
Best fnatic cards:
- Overpass - 100% wins.
- Vertigo - 100% wins.
- Inferno - 60% of wins.
Probably, the European team will continue to get rid of the Anubis card.
Outsiders match statistics - fnatic
During the last season, the teams held two meetings:
- Outsiders win at IEM Rio Major 2022 Challengers Stage with a score of 2:0.
- Outsiders win at IEM Rio Major 2022 with a score of 2:0.
It is worth noting that at that time the teams played twice on the Mirage map.
Prediction for the match Outsiders vs fnatic
Based on past matches, and the obvious difference in play style, I would not believe in fnatic. Especially since the team has had an unsuccessful start this season, having managed to lose to OG.
It is clear that the Russian team is just debuting. However, the guys strengthened on paper, and also did not give the opponent any information about themselves. Therefore, in this case, I would recommend betting on the Outsiders team to win.
