NAVI vs SAW - CS2 IEM Cologne 2024 Group A Upper Bracket Final: Prediction, where to watch, and more

A fiery upper bracket final matchup between NAVI vs SAW will commence on day 7 of IEM Cologne 2024 in Germany. While NAVI looks forward to winning its first IEM trophy in 2024, SAW has the opportunity to etch its name into the history books as the first-ever Portuguese team to clinch the accolade.

Since both teams have confirmed their tickets on the LANXEESS arena, it’ll be a fight for higher seeds. The winner will directly qualify for the semi-finals, while the loser has to play the quarter-final match.

With that being said, this article will explore some of the key factors that might impact the outcome. We’ll also provide a brief prediction section on this nail-biting matchup.

Note: Some aspects of this article are subjective and solely reflect the writer's opinion.

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NAVI vs SAW: Who will win the CS2 IEM Cologne 2024 Group A Upper Bracket Final?

Prediction

NAVI vs SAW will surely be a pivotal matchup, with the winner qualifying for the semifinal. The loser, on the other hand, will reach the quarterfinal with higher seeds. Both rosters are brimming with potential and can outperform each other.

Ukrainian powerhouse NAVI started its campaign exceptionally well, winning both group-stage matchups against Astralis and paiN Gaming. The team has yet to drop a map at Cologne 2024. jL and b1t have been consistent with their frags, while iM arguably delivered one of the best tournament performances in 2024. Under Aleskib’s captaincy, the Ukrainian force looks quite synchronized.

On the other hand, the Portuguese CS fanbase is brimming with excitement as SAW will enter the IEM Cologne play-offs stage for the first time. The roster enjoyed a stellar start to its campaign, beating some big names like BIG, The MongolZ, and G2 Esports.

The Portuguese squad is spearheaded by ewjerkz, who keeps delivering exceptional performance. According to the stats, he has dropped 61 kills at IEM 2024 so far. With the roster on a five-match-winning streak at this tournament, expectations will be high.

Judging from both team’s recent performances, NAVI seems to be the clear favorite. However, given how SAW has silenced a few big names in the series, the team can stage an upset.

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Head-to-Head

NAVI and SAW have never faced each other in CS2 tournaments. This will be their first meeting in LAN.

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Recent results

Heading into this game, NAVI secured a flawless 2-0 win in its previous matchup against Team Astralis.

Similarly, SAW won its upper bracket semifinal match against Asian powerhouse The MongolZ with a 2-1 scoreline.

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CS2 IEM Cologne 2024 rosters (NAVI vs SAW )

Below are the expected rosters for the upcoming NAVI vs SAW match:

NAVI

• Aleksi “Aleksib” Virolainen (IGL)
• Valeriy “b1t” Vakhovskiy
• Ihor “w0nderful” Zhdanov
• Mihai “iM” Ivan
• Justinas “jL” Lekavicius
• Andrey “B1ad3” Gorodenskiy (Coach)

SAW

• Christopher ”MUTiRiS” Fernandes (IGL)
• Ricardo “roman” Oliveira
• Michel “ewjerkz” Pinto
• João “story” Vieira
• Rafael “arrozdoce” Wing
• Danny “BERRY” Krüger (Coach)

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When and where to watch NAVI vs SAW?

Counter-Strike fans worldwide can head to the ESL's Twitch and YouTube channels to witness this nail-biting upper bracket final matchup. Additionally, they can join watch parties hosted by popular streamers, such as ohnepixel and fl0m.

Here are the dates and timings for the fiery matchup:

• PT: August 13, 2024, at 6:45 AM
• CEST: August 13, 2024, at 3:45 PM
• IST: August 13, 2024, at 7:15 PM

Fans can watch the live broadcast of the match on these websites:

• To watch NAVI vs SAW on YouTube: Click Here
• To watch NAVI vs SAW on Twitch: Steam A || Stream B

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