The Group B matches at the IEM Katowice 2023 Group Stage have kicked off in earnest, with four teams having been knocked down into the lower bracket quarterfinals - and only two will survive to fight another day at this year's tournament.
IEM Katowice 2023: Group B lower bracket quarterfinals schedule and betting odds
Two Group B teams are facing elimination on February 6, after Group A teams Cloud9 and BIG were sent home following their defeats yesterday at the hands of IHC Gaming and Team Spirit, respectively. And the carnage won't stop there, as the 16 teams who started at the Group Stage will be whittled down to just six - Who will advance to the Playoffs, taking place from February 10-12.
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The first two teams facing potential elimination today are Ninjas in Pyjamas and Outsiders, who will be competing at 11:30 AM GMT.
Ninjas in Pyjamas (2.28) vs Outsiders (1.64)
Ninjas in Pyjamas had an excellent start to this year's IEM Katowice, achieving an uncontested win streak through the Play-In Stage. That's despite a closer-than-expected debut match against MIBR, which ended with a final score of 16-13. Their next match-up was much more one-sided, however, as Ninjas went on to achieve a 2-0 win over Team Spirit. The Group Stage has been somewhat less successful for Ninjas so far, as the team lost their February 4 match against Team Vitality with a score of 2-0 - putting them at risk of being eliminated from the tournament in today's match.
Outsiders have similarly not had the best start to the Group Stage - and indeed the tournament itself, as the Russian team missed out on the Play-In Stage due to their success at last year's IEM Rio Major. They lost their IEM Katowice 2023 debut match against Fnatic with a score of 2-1, in an upset loss for the Russian team. Outsiders will need to turn things around to stay in the tournament - and avoid being sent home with the shame of not having a single win to their name at IEM Katowice 2023.
The odds are in Outsiders' favour here, at 1.64 vs Ninjas in Pyjamas' 2.28 - but we've seen bigger upset wins than that already this tournament, so this could still be all to play for.
The other Group B teams facing elimination today are Complexity Gaming and MOUZ, who will be also going head-to-head at 11:30 AM GMT.
Complexity Gaming (3.00) vs MOUZ (1.40)
Complexity Gaming's run through the Play-In Stage was impressive to watch, with back-to-back victories against the likes of Permitta Esports and ENCE. That promising start was put into doubt in their February 5 match, however, when they lost to Heroic with a score of 2-1. The team is attending IEM Katowice for the first time this year since 2019, where they ranked in 12th - 14th place. They'll no doubt be eager to improve on that performance, but they have steep odds ahead of them to stay in the running at this year's tournament.
Similarly to Outsiders, MOUZ didn't have the greatest start to this year's IEM Katowice. The team was able to skip the Play-In Stage due to their placement on the ESL World Ranking, where they're ranked in 8th place. However, their IEM Katowice 2023 debut match on February 5 hardly went in MOUZ's favour, with a 2-1 loss to OG. Their performance at last year's IEM Katowice was hardly all that impressive, with a ranking of 9th - 12th place - So they'll need to improve on their performance if they want to rank higher this year.
The odds are in MOUZ's favour here, at 1.40 vs Complexity Gaming's 3.00.
Two teams are facing elimination - who do you think it will be? Whichever team you choose to support, make sure you do so with the aid of your free 100% bonus! Furthermore, why not take the chance of doubling your winnings with a Kato Bet Boost?
