BLAST Open Porto 2026 will continue the Opening Round in Group B with a match between MOUZ and 9z. The teams will meet in a Bo3 format: the winner will advance to the Upper semi-finals, while the losing team will drop to Lower Round 1. MOUZ are ranked fifth in the world, while 9z are in ninth position, so the European roster approaches the series as the favorite, although the head-to-head history makes this matchup much more interesting.
BLAST OPEN PORTO 2026 GROUP B — FORMAT SPECIFICS
The group stage of BLAST Open Porto 2026 is played in a Double Elimination Bo3 format. Group winners advance directly to the Playoffs Semi-finals, while teams that finish the group in second and third place will receive spots in the Quarter-finals. In the Opening Round, victory allows a team to continue fighting in the upper bracket, while defeat sends them to Lower Round 1.
The Bo3 format reduces the influence of randomness and forces teams to show map pool depth. MOUZ have a statistical advantage on almost all actively played maps, but 9z have already created problems for them several times in head-to-head matches, so the veto may become one of the main factors of the series.
HEAD-TO-HEAD — 9Z LEAD IN RECENT MEETINGS
According to the presented statistics, MOUZ have won two maps in head-to-head matches, while 9z have won four. At PGL Astana 2026, the South American roster won Ancient 13:9 and Nuke 13:10, while MOUZ answered with a 13:4 victory on Inferno.
Even earlier, at BLAST Open Rotterdam 2026, 9z took Nuke 13:9 and Inferno 13:8, while MOUZ won Dust2 13:11. As a result, despite MOUZ’s higher ranking, 9z have already proven that they can find effective solutions against them even on maps where the European roster usually looks strong.
CURRENT FORM
MOUZ — a strong map pool, but unstable recent results
MOUZ approach the tournament after a mixed stretch. The team lost to FUT 0:2, but before that defeated GamerLegion 2:1 and PARIVISION 2:0. Recent matches also included a 1:2 loss to FUT, a 13:8 victory over Lynn Vision, and a strong series against Spirit that ended with a 3:1 score.
The best listed individual numbers belong to torzsi, who has a 1.19 rating over the last three months. He shows 0.76 kills per round, only 0.55 deaths, 76.7% KAST, and a +2.89% round swing. Together with Spinx, xertioN, Jimpphat, and PR, he forms a roster with enough individual quality for favorite status.
9z — a dangerous opponent with strong individual series
9z have recently been alternating wins and losses. The team lost to magic 1:2 and FURIA 1:2, but before that crushed paiN 13:3, defeated PARIVISION 3:0, Alliance 2:1, and TYLOO 2:1. This shows that the South American roster is capable of gaining good tempo and creating problems for high-level opponents.
The best listed individual numbers belong to luchov with a 1.12 rating. He records 0.72 kills per round, has a 1.14 multi-kill rating, and 80.6 ADR. Together with dgt, max, meyern, and HUASOPEEK, he forms a roster that already has positive experience in matches against MOUZ.
MAP POOL & VETO
Statistics over the last 3 months (MOUZ | 9z):
- Cache: — | —
- Dust2: 78% | 62%
- Mirage: 57% | 44%
- Inferno: 75% | 55%
- Nuke: 88% | 50%
- Ancient: 14% | 25%
- Anubis: — | —
Expected veto:
- 9z will logically try to remove Nuke. MOUZ have an 88% win rate on this map across eight matches, which is the European roster’s best figure in the current map pool. Even though 9z have already beaten MOUZ on Nuke, leaving the opponent their most stable map in a Bo3 would be too risky.
- MOUZ, in turn, may remove Ancient. The team has only a 14% win rate here across seven matches, while 9z show 25%. Both figures are weak, but Ancient looks like MOUZ’s least comfortable map and at the same time has already brought 9z a victory in their head-to-head series.
Likely maps:
- Dust2 looks like one of the most realistic choices for MOUZ. The European roster has a 78% win rate across nine matches against 62% for 9z, and the map itself is regularly present in both teams’ pools.
- 9z may answer with Mirage or Inferno, although statistically MOUZ have the advantage there as well. On Mirage, the numbers are 57% against 44%, while on Inferno they are 75% against 55%. Inferno is especially interesting because of the previous head-to-head matches: both teams have already beaten each other on this map.
KEY DUELS
- torzsi vs luchov — a matchup between the two highest-rated players on both teams, capable of deciding the outcome of key rounds.
- Spinx vs dgt — a rifle duel between experienced players, which will largely determine the teams’ stability in the middle of rounds.
- xertioN vs meyern — a battle for aggressive openings and space control on maps with many early contacts.
PREDICTION
9z have enough arguments to make this series difficult for the favorite. The team leads in recent head-to-head maps, has already beaten MOUZ on Nuke, Ancient, and Inferno, and has a competitive Dust2. If the South American roster can once again impose its tempo and win its own pick, the match can quite realistically go to a third map.
However, the current map pool noticeably shifts the balance toward MOUZ. The European roster has 78% on Dust2, 75% on Inferno, and 88% on Nuke, while 9z do not have a statistical advantage on any regularly played map. With a smart veto, MOUZ should get a comfortable enough series structure to take revenge for previous head-to-head losses and advance to the Upper semi-finals.
Projected result: MOUZ 2–1 9z
