MIBR secured their postseason spot with an incredible reverse sweep of Team Spirit during a thrilling match in the ESL Pro League Season 20. The Brazilian team pulled off an amazing comeback to secure a 2-1 victory after a thrilling third map, turning what appeared to be an easy victory for the Russian side on its head.
After defeating Donk and his Spirit teammates, the Brazilians move up to the top two in Group B and secure a straight-through ticket to the playoffs, demonstrating once more how resilient the Brazilian people are. This match, which took place in Malta, showed off how thrilling and unexpected competitive Counter-Strike can be.
The series started on Ancient, MIBR’s map pick, but it was Team Spirit who dominated. They crushed MIBR with a 13-2 half, thanks to the stellar performance of Danil “Donk” Kryshkovets, who carried his momentum from Spirit’s earlier victory over Wildcard. The entire MIBR squad struggled, failing to reach double digits in kills, raising concerns about their preparation on the map. Spirit capitalized on their shaky start, and it seemed like MIBR was in for a rough series.
However, MIBR bounced back on Nuke, one of their stronger maps. They started with a dominant 6-0 lead on the CT side and secured eight rounds by halftime. Spirit couldn’t break through, and MIBR comfortably closed out the map 13-7, leveling the series. This marked a turning point for MIBR, as they demonstrated resilience and tactical discipline to force a third and final map.
The decider map, Anubis, was tightly contested from the start, with both teams trading rounds in a 6-6 first half. MIBR took control early in the second half, building a 12-8 lead, but Team Spirit fought back to force overtime. In the extra rounds, MIBR stepped up, winning four out of five rounds to secure the victory. This dramatic result eliminated Team Spirit from the upper bracket, sending them to the lower bracket.
With this victory, MIBR secured a spot in the playoffs and will face the winner of G2 Esports and 3DMAX for a direct berth in the quarter-finals. Meanwhile, Team Spirit will face The MongolZ in the lower bracket as they fight to stay in the competition. Despite Spirit’s defeat, their roster remains one of the most dangerous in the tournament.
