Two teams have been eliminated from Group B - and two more will be sent home later today, as we look forward to the Group B Lower Bracket Semifinals, taking place at 11:30 AM GMT on February 7.
IEM Katowice 2023: Group B lower bracket semifinals schedule and betting odds
The Group B Lower Bracket Quarterfinals, which took place on February 6, saw both Ninjas in Pyjamas and MOUZ being sent packing following their respective losses to Outsiders and Complexity Gaming.
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They'll be joining the four eliminated Group A teams on the trip home, with two more teams in Group B now facing elimination from the tournament today - while the winners will move on to the lower bracket final.
The two lower bracket semifinal matches will both take place at 11:30 AM GMT when we'll have the opportunity to see OG fighting it out with Outsiders.
OG have had an incredible run through this year's IEM Katowice, despite falling to the lower bracket through their 2-0 loss to Heroic on February 6. Before that, OG had boasted an uncontested win streak through the tournament - having faced off the likes of Sprout and Fnatic at the Play-In Stage, before defeating MOUZ in their Group Stage debut. It's a promising run for the team, whose last appearance at IEM Katowice saw them ranked in 13th-16h place.
They'll need to get past Outsiders if they want to make it any further, however. The Russian team made their IEM Katowice 2023 debut on February 5, having qualified for the Group Stage through their victory at last year's IEM Rio Major. Unfortunately for Outsiders, their opening match in Katowice didn't go as planned, as Fnatic defied the odds to hand them a 2-1 defeat, sending them down into the lower bracket. Outsiders were able to turn things around in the lower bracket quarterfinals, eliminating Ninjas in Pyjamas from the tournament through a 2-1 victory - but they're facing potential elimination at OG's hands today.
The odds are in Outsiders' favour here, at 1.64 vs OG's 2.28.
The second semifinal match will also take place at 11:30 AM GMT on February 7 and will see Fnatic and Complexity Gaming fighting for survival.
Fnatic (1.55) vs Complexity Gaming (2.48)
Fnatic are just one match away from improving on their 2022 Katowice record when they ranked in 9th-12th place. And their performance so far looks promising for the team, having worked their way up through the Play-In Stage through victories against both Evil Geniuses and MIBR. Their Group Stage run started off promising too, with a 2-1 victory over Outsiders, before being sent down to the lower bracket by Team Vitality in a 2-1 loss. They're facing potential elimination today, but similarly stand a chance of making it to the lower bracket finals.
Joining Fnatic in this fight for survival is Complexity Gaming, who have made a great impression on their first Katowice appearance since 2019 - but are now at risk of barely improving on their 12th - 14th result from that year. Complexity made it through the Play-In Stage through wins against the likes of Permitta Esports and ENCE, despite losing their debut match in a 16-12 loss to BIG. Complexity lost again in their Group Stage debut match against Heroic - but managed to stay in the tournament through a 2-1 win over MOUZ in the lower bracket quarterfinals. They'll be facing elimination once again today, however, and things aren't looking too promising for Complexity.
The odds are in Fnatic's favour here, at 1.55 against Complexity's 2.48.
Group B is rapidly ramping up to its endgame - so who will you be supporting? Whoever has your backing, keep in mind that you have the chance to double your winnings with a Kato Bet Boost!
