9z Upset Vitality 2-1 at IEM Cologne

9z defeated Vitality 2-1 at the IEM Cologne Major, reversing a 0-2 loss to the same opponent at BLAST Open Rotterdam and earning a place in the Stage 3 2-0 pool. The South American squad dropped the first map, Inferno, then won Mirage and Dust2 to close the series.

On Inferno, Vitality controlled the opening half, limiting 9z to three rounds on the T side. 9z won the following pistol and produced a run that narrowed the gap, but Vitality responded with a 4-0 stretch after leader Dan “apEX” Madesclaire exploited a hole in 9z’s B defense. Vitality completed the map and took a 1-0 lead in the series.

Mirage featured a low-scoring first half for Vitality, which managed just two rounds early on with key double kills from Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut. Ignacio “meyern” Meyer led 9z on Mirage, posting a 2.26 rating and a +15.85% round swing as his team built a substantial lead. 9z won the second-half pistol and collected the final rounds needed to tie the match.

Dust2 began with Vitality jumping to a 4-0 lead as William “mezii” Merriman recorded nine early kills. After 9z established an economic advantage, they tightened trade sequences and won a 2v4 clutch with two players at low health. Vitality secured the second-half pistol but failed to convert the full round. Robin “ropz” Kool and ZywOo combined for a 2v4 clutch on series point, but 9z closed the final regulation round to claim the match.

Individual series totals show several high counts: for Vitality, Shahar “flameZ” Shushan had 46 kills and a 1.23 rating, ZywOo 45 kills and a 1.19 rating, and mezii 44 kills and a 1.08 rating. For 9z, meyern recorded 46 kills and a 1.11 rating, Franco “dgt” Garcia had 39 kills, and Luciano “luchov” Herrera posted 40 kills.

After the match, Vitality coach Rémy “XTQZZZ” Quoniam commented that the team executed its plan on Inferno but struggled on Mirage and failed to execute several elements on the final map, adding that second-round forcebuy issues affected the outcome.

The win advances 9z to the Stage 3 2-0 pool at IEM Cologne. Vitality remains in the Major and will continue in the event.