Day one of the IEM Cologne 2025 group stage continues with a high-stakes clash between a revitalized Astralis and the ambitious Ukrainian squad B8. After their dramatic face-off at the BLAST.tv Austin Major — where every map was a nail-biter — fans now get another chance to witness a battle of experience versus hunger on Cologne’s iconic LAN stage.
Team Lineups
Astralis:
- dev1ce
- Staehr
- jabbi
- stavn
- HooXi
B8:
- npl
- esen1thal
- kensizor
- headtr1ck
- alex666
Astralis have looked solid since the addition of former Heroic duo stavn and jabbi, who strengthened the core alongside dev1ce. HooXi aims to build a rotation-based control style, while B8 focus on the individual impact of npl and headtr1ck to find openings and momentum.
Head-to-Head History
Their last encounter came in the decider match for a BLAST.tv Austin Major slot. B8 shocked many by defeating Astralis in a 2:1 series:
- Mirage: B8 13–10
- Inferno: Astralis 13–7
- Ancient: B8 16–14
That series showcased B8’s mental resilience and fearlessness against tier-one names. Despite losing map two, they clawed back in the decider with key clutches and calculated aggression. Overall, across three maps in 2025, B8 lead with two wins to one — proving they can recover from early setbacks and finish strong.
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Current Form
Astralis are steadily regaining prestige after a long rebuilding phase. stavn is their main star, posting a 1.16 rating, 83.1 ADR, and 74.3% KAST. His synergy with jabbi continues to grow, while HooXi shows solid round control without overburdening the team. Their only weakness? Staehr’s inconsistency — especially against unpredictable opponents like B8.
B8 remain a high-ceiling team with inconsistent execution. npl leads statistically (1.17 rating, 1.20 impact, 81.4 ADR), while headtr1ck often comes alive on map two. However, alex666 lacks stability, and esen1thal sometimes struggles with mid-round calls — especially in late-round scenarios under pressure.
Map Pool & Potential Veto
Map stats (last 3 months):
- Dust2: Astralis — 60% (5 maps) | B8 — 55% (11 maps)
- Mirage: Astralis — 43% (7 maps) | B8 — 58% (12 maps)
- Inferno: Astralis — 60% (5 maps) | B8 — 75% (12 maps)
- Nuke: Astralis — 80% (10 maps) | B8 — not played
- Train: neither team plays
- Overpass: both teams avoid
- Ancient: Astralis — 50% (6 maps) | B8 — 83% (6 maps)
Expected veto:
- B8 will likely ban Nuke, Astralis’ best map.
- Astralis may avoid Overpass, where they lack reps and confidence.
Picks:
- Astralis might go for Inferno again — a proven battleground where they previously beat B8.
- B8 are expected to choose Ancient or Mirage, both of which brought success in April.
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Decider:
Dust2 appears the most neutral option. Both teams have comparable win rates, and with Ancient potentially picked earlier, it’s the likeliest fallback map.
Key Matchups
- Stavn vs npl — Both players post similar impact. The winner of this head-to-head could control early-round momentum.
- jabbi vs headtr1ck — Second-layer impact. jabbi excels in lurks; headtr1ck shines with quick adjustments.
- HooXi vs esen1thal — Captain duel: structure vs improvisation. If HooXi can read B8’s rotations, Astralis will find control.
Prediction
Astralis boast more LAN experience and tactical maturity, especially on maps like Inferno and Nuke. However, April’s series proved it’s not always enough. B8’s victories on Mirage and Ancient — both maps likely to appear again — could pave the way for another upset.
If the Ukrainian squad secure their comfort picks and npl/headtr1ck hit peak form, history could repeat itself.
Predicted score: 2:1 in favor of B8
Both teams have paths to victory — it all comes down to vetoes and clutch execution.
