After a tense three-map battle against 3DMAX, Falcons could finally breathe a sigh of relief — the team pulled off a hard-fought 2:1 victory to secure a spot in the semifinals of ESL Pro League Season 22. Team leader Nikola “NiKo” Kovač didn’t hide his mixed emotions after the match — frustration with his team’s performance, yet pride for their resilience and ability to grind out a difficult win despite all the setbacks.
In playoffs, it doesn’t really matter how you win — what matters is that you make it through. We’re a bit frustrated with how we played, but happy that we got the victory, NiKo said after the series, in which Falcons failed to win a single one of six pistol rounds but still prevailed in overtime on Nuke.
Surviving by inches — Falcons defeat 3DMAX
Copenhagen hosted one of the most intense playoff clashes of ESL Pro League Season 22, where Falcons narrowly escaped elimination after a 2:1 triumph over 3DMAX. The match was a rollercoaster from start to finish: after dropping Inferno, the team bounced back on Ancient thanks to m0NESY, who posted a stunning 1.96 rating, before sealing the deal in a nail-biting overtime finish on Nuke, earning their place in the final four.
Despite the victory, Falcons looked shaky throughout the series — losing all six pistols and throwing away several 5v3 advantages. NiKo admitted that such inconsistency is something that personally frustrates him:
We’re making things harder for ourselves. We could win games comfortably, but instead we give up leads and put ourselves under pressure. It’s frustrating because we know we’re capable of much more, the Bosnian star said candidly.
The pistol problem: “We’ve tried everything, but nothing works”
One of the key reasons behind the team’s shaky performance was once again their inability to win pistol rounds. Falcons lost all of them — now sitting at 12 out of 13 pistols lost across their last two series. NiKo openly admitted that the issue has become systemic.
We don’t really know what’s going on. We’ve tried simple setups, anti-strats, even more complex approaches — but maybe it just comes down to not hitting shots or taking the wrong duels. In MR12, losing pistols makes it so much harder; you’re always starting with a disadvantage, he explained.
Communication under pressure
Falcons also lost several rounds despite having clear numerical advantages — 5v3s and even 5v2s — a recurring problem in their recent matches. According to NiKo, much of it came down to 3DMAX’s chaotic tempo and his team’s communication lapses.
We didn’t lose rounds because of stupid mistakes — 3DMAX just played incredibly fast. Everything happened within seconds, and we couldn’t always react in sync. Our communication wasn’t where it needs to be. It wasn’t bad, but if we want to win tomorrow — it has to be much better, NiKo emphasized.
m0NESY’s resurgence: “That’s the player he should always be”
NiKo also reflected on the resurgence of his young teammate, Ilya “m0NESY” Osipov, who delivered a standout performance in the quarterfinals and became the team’s driving force.
I’m really happy he’s back to his level. In practice, he’s always incredible, but in official games he sometimes took a step back when someone else made the calls. We talked before the event, and now he’s playing like the leader we know he can be — aggressive, active, unpredictable. That’s the m0NESY everyone wants to see, NiKo said.
Inferno — Falcons’ Achilles heel
Falcons once again fell short on Inferno, and NiKo admitted that the map remains their biggest weakness.
We knew they’d pick Inferno — it’s their best map. We prepared well, but losing both pistols killed us. Against a team like 3DMAX, that’s deadly. We’re still adjusting with kyousuke playing on B, but he’s improving fast. It’s a process, he noted.
NiKo also ruled out any changes to the team’s map pool for the rest of the season:
No Overpass or any new maps — it’s too late for that. We just need to make Inferno solid. We’ve already improved since Belgrade and will keep working on it.
Looking ahead: “I want to finally win a trophy with Falcons”
Falcons now await the winner of MOUZ vs NAVI in the semifinals — and for NiKo, it’s another chance to chase a long-awaited championship.
We’ve beaten both of these teams before. On paper, MOUZ are the stronger opponent, but if we focus on ourselves, we can beat anyone. We’ve stopped in the semifinals twice already, and this time I want to go all the way. I want to finally lift my first big trophy with Falcons, NiKo concluded.
Falcons fought through chaos, nerves, and their own mistakes — but survived. Their play remains imperfect, yet NiKo’s leadership and m0NESY’s return to peak form are keeping the team afloat. The semifinal clash against MOUZ or NAVI will be the true test — a chance for Falcons to prove they belong among the elite and for NiKo to turn years of near-misses into his long-awaited first tier-one championship with this roster.
