MOUZ Complete Comeback Against Falcons to Reach BLAST Open Porto Semi-Finals

MOUZ recovered from a disastrous opening map to beat Falcons 2-1 in the BLAST Open Porto 2026 Group B upper-bracket final, earning a direct place in the tournament’s semi-finals.

Falcons opened the series with an emphatic 13-6 victory on MOUZ’s Nuke pick, but the response was decisive. Dorian "xertioN" Berman’s side controlled Falcons’ Ancient pick 13-6 before running away with Inferno 13-3 to complete the reverse sweep.

The victory gives MOUZ a valuable playoff bye. Instead of beginning the arena stage in the quarter-finals, they will enter directly in the last four on September 5 against the winner of FURIA versus Vitality. Falcons remain alive but now have an extra elimination match to navigate, starting with G2 in the quarter-finals on September 4.

Quick Summary

Detail	Information
Tournament	BLAST Open Porto 2026
Match	MOUZ vs Falcons
Result	MOUZ 2-1 Falcons
Maps	Nuke 6-13, Ancient 13-6, Inferno 13-3
Stage	Group B upper-bracket final
Standout player	Adrian "xelex" Vincze — 49-36, 1.36 rating
Main storyline	MOUZ recovered from a 10-2 first-half deficit on Nuke to dominate the final two maps and qualify directly for the semi-finals

The series was played on August 31 as a best-of-three. Both teams had already secured playoff spots, meaning the real prize was seeding: the winner skipped the quarter-finals entirely.

What Happened?

MOUZ entered the match after comfortable 2-0 victories over 9z and Inner Circle, while Falcons had needed three maps against both Lynn Vision and Legacy. The matchup therefore offered a chance for MOUZ to continue their clean group-stage run and for the reigning IEM Cologne Major champions to secure the shortest possible route through the Porto playoffs.

Initially, it looked as though Falcons would be the team taking that shortcut.

Their defense dismantled MOUZ on Nuke, building a 10-2 advantage before halftime and ending MOUZ’s seven-map winning streak on the map. Falcons repeatedly found the opening advantage, recording 16 first kills compared to only three for MOUZ, while René "TeSeS" Madsen led the server with 19 kills.

The rest of the series looked completely different.

On Ancient, MOUZ stopped Falcons from establishing the same early-round control. After Falcons took the opening two rounds, MOUZ won eight consecutively and finished their CT side with a 9-3 lead. Falcons struggled to create space around Mid, and MOUZ consistently converted the resulting advantages into controlled defensive rounds.

That pattern continued on Inferno. MOUZ again produced a 9-3 CT half, repeatedly denying Falcons access to important territory before closing the map without conceding a round after the side switch.

Across Ancient and Inferno combined, Falcons managed only nine rounds.

Why This Match Matters

Both teams had already qualified for the six-team playoff bracket before the series began, but BLAST Open Porto heavily rewards winning the group.

Group winners advance directly to the semi-finals, while the second- and third-placed teams must play an additional best-of-three quarter-final. The playoffs are single elimination, so avoiding that round removes one complete opportunity for elimination.

For MOUZ, the result also continues a strong response to their disappointing Esports World Cup exit.

They were eliminated by FUT in the EWC quarter-finals on August 21, but have since won all three of their Porto series: 2-0 against 9z, 2-0 against Inner Circle, and 2-1 against Falcons.

It is another encouraging result for a roster that remains relatively young in its current form. Oldřich "PR" Nový joined during the summer break, while Adrian "xelex" Vincze was promoted from MOUZ NXT earlier in the year. xertioN has also taken over the in-game leadership responsibilities following MOUZ’s spring roster overhaul.

Falcons, meanwhile, entered Porto as HLTV’s No. 2-ranked team and as the reigning IEM Cologne Major champions. Their ceiling remains obvious, but their Ancient problems have become difficult to ignore after three losses on the map during this event alone.

Head-to-Head Context

The teams’ most recent meeting before Porto came in the CS Asia Championships 2026 semi-finals on May 23.

Falcons won that series 2-1 after losing Mirage 7-13, responding with victories on Dust2 and Nuke to reach the final.

That result is relevant, but it is not a perfect comparison. MOUZ were still using Justinas "jL" Lekavicius at the time, whereas PR joined the active five during the summer. The Porto meeting was therefore the first between Falcons and the current MOUZ lineup.

MOUZ’s victory in Denmark effectively reversed the previous result: Falcons again took control of Nuke, but this time MOUZ had the stronger response across the remainder of the series.

Map Breakdown

Nuke — Falcons win 13-6

MOUZ entered their own pick with significant confidence. They had won seven consecutive Nuke maps, including victories over 9z, GamerLegion, FUT, Spirit and 3DMAX during their recent tournament runs.

Falcons dismantled that record almost immediately.

Their CT side produced a 10-2 half, with MOUZ repeatedly starting rounds from a disadvantage. The first-kill numbers underline how difficult the half became: Falcons won 16 opening duels across the map compared to MOUZ’s three.

TeSeS was the standout performer with 19 kills and 96.4 ADR as Falcons closed the map 13-6.

For MOUZ, it was their worst map of the Porto group stage and the first real test of how the new lineup would respond after being comprehensively outplayed.

Ancient — MOUZ win 13-6

Falcons picking Ancient was an aggressive decision given their results earlier in the tournament.

They had already lost the map 10-13 against Lynn Vision and 10-13 against Legacy before facing MOUZ. Against xertioN’s team, those problems became even more pronounced.

Falcons started 2-0, but MOUZ quickly took control.

Their CT setups consistently disrupted attempts to pressure Mid, and the European side turned the early deficit into an 8-2 advantage before reaching halftime at 9-3.

PR delivered the best rating on the map at 1.38 and recorded five opening kills, while xelex finished with a server-high 16 frags. MOUZ needed only seven rounds of the second half to finish the map 13-6 and force Inferno.

Inferno — MOUZ win 13-3

Any momentum Falcons had recovered on Nuke was gone by the deciding map.

MOUZ again took command from the CT side, consistently denying Falcons comfortable control of Banana, Mid and Brackets. torzsi’s AWP gave Falcons another problem to solve away from the extremities, leaving their offense with few reliable routes into the bombsites.

MOUZ took another 9-3 lead into halftime and then won four consecutive rounds on the T side to finish the series.

PR produced his best map of the match with a 1.96 rating. torzsi led the server with 18 kills and 12 AWP kills, while xelex contributed 110 ADR.

The final 13-3 score completed a striking turnaround: after conceding 13 rounds on the opening map, MOUZ allowed Falcons only nine across the next two.

Key Players

Adrian "xelex" Vincze — MOUZ

xelex produced the strongest overall statistical performance of the series.

The 18-year-old finished with 49 kills, a 49-36 K-D record, 89.4 ADR and a 1.36 rating across the three maps. More importantly, he was part of the collective recovery after MOUZ were overwhelmed on Nuke.

His continued development matters for MOUZ because the Hungarian was promoted from MOUZ NXT only in April. The team has increasingly trusted him with aggressive rifling responsibilities since the roster overhaul.

Oldřich "PR" Nový — MOUZ

PR was especially influential once the series moved away from Nuke.

He finished the match with a 39-28 record and 1.31 rating, including the best rating on both Ancient and Inferno. His impact in opening situations on Ancient helped prevent Falcons from establishing control, while his Inferno performance was central to MOUZ converting the decider into a rout.

Ádám "torzsi" Torzsás — MOUZ

torzsi finished 44-27 with a 1.21 rating and provided MOUZ with stability after the poor start.

His biggest contribution came on Inferno, where he collected 18 kills and 12 AWP frags. Falcons struggled to create the space required to isolate him, allowing the Hungarian AWPer to repeatedly punish their attempts to progress through the middle of the map.

René "TeSeS" Madsen — Falcons

TeSeS was Falcons’ best performer overall at a 1.06 rating and was one of the main reasons they controlled Nuke so comfortably.

His 19 kills on the opener helped Falcons establish their 10-2 defensive half, but neither he nor his teammates could reproduce that level after the series moved to Ancient.

Ilya "m0NESY" Osipov — Falcons

m0NESY had been outstanding earlier in Falcons’ Porto campaign, including a 58-kill, 1.64-rated performance in the opening victory over Lynn Vision. MOUZ limited his influence considerably, with the Russian AWPer finishing the series at a 1.02 rating.

That contrast was important. When Falcons were unable to generate consistent space on Ancient and Inferno, m0NESY had fewer opportunities to dictate rounds with the AWP.

Interesting Facts and Context

• MOUZ entered the series having won seven consecutive maps on Nuke before Falcons ended the streak with a 13-6 victory.
• Falcons have now lost Ancient three times at BLAST Open Porto — against Lynn Vision, Legacy and MOUZ.
• MOUZ are unbeaten in series at Porto, defeating 9z, Inner Circle and Falcons to finish their group-stage run 3-0.
• xelex’s 49 kills were the most in the series, while PR recorded the highest rating on each of MOUZ’s two map victories.
• Falcons entered the tournament as the reigning IEM Cologne Major champions, while MOUZ arrived after winning the BLAST Bounty 2026 Season 2 Finals earlier in August.

What Comes Next?

MOUZ can now skip the opening round of the arena playoffs at Porto’s Super Bock Arena.

Their semi-final is scheduled for September 5, where they will meet the winner of FURIA versus Vitality. The other side of the bracket features Spirit waiting for the winner of Falcons versus G2.

Falcons therefore face a significantly longer route to the trophy.

Their quarter-final against G2 takes place on September 4. Victory would send them into a semi-final against Spirit, while defeat would end their tournament in 5th-6th place.

For MOUZ, the immediate challenge is different. They have several days to prepare and will arrive in Porto needing only two more series victories to win the event.

After recovering from such a poor opening map against one of the highest-ranked teams in the field, that semi-final position has been earned in convincing fashion.

FAQ

Who won MOUZ vs Falcons at BLAST Open Porto 2026?

MOUZ won the series 2-1 on August 31, 2026.

What were the map scores?

Falcons won Nuke 13-6. MOUZ responded with a 13-6 victory on Ancient and a 13-3 win on Inferno.

Who was the standout player?

Adrian "xelex" Vincze led MOUZ with 49 kills, 89.4 ADR and a 1.36 rating across the series.

Did MOUZ qualify for the BLAST Open Porto playoffs?

MOUZ had already qualified before facing Falcons. By winning the Group B upper-bracket final, they secured a direct place in the semi-finals.

Who do MOUZ and Falcons play next?

MOUZ will face the winner of FURIA versus Vitality in the semi-finals on September 5. Falcons will play G2 in a quarter-final on September 4.