Vitality storm into EPL semis after CT sides overwhelm FURIA

Vitality storm into EPL semis after CT sides overwhelm FURIA

Team Vitality secured their place in the ESL Pro League Season 22 semi-finals by defeating FURIA 2–1 in a hard-fought quarter-final, leveraging commanding CT performances to swing the tie in their favor. 

Over the three maps, Vitality controlled 24–8 across their CT halves, a stat that perfectly encapsulates their upper hand in defensive setups and mid-round resilience. 

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Map details & turning points

Map veto & order

• FURIA struck out Mirage

• Vitality removed Ancient

• FURIA picked Inferno

• Vitality picked Nuke

• FURIA removed Dust2

• Vitality removed Vertigo
  → Overpass remained as the decider

Map 1: Overpass — FURIA take the opener

FURIA opened with Overpass, converting their T-sides and applying pressure effectively on Vitality’s defense to take the first map. Vitality’s CT rounds were tested by coordinated mid and A-split executes, and FURIA’s positioning punished any misstep. 

Map 2: Inferno — Vitality bounce back

Vitality responded on Inferno with more balanced CT defense and better control of banana and mid. Their anti-ecos and retake discipline saw them erode FURIA’s tempo. The match turned on Vitality’s ability to hold tough sites and isolate fights, giving them a needed map win to stay alive. 

Map 3: Nuke — CT dominance seals the series

On Nuke, Vitality’s CT performance was suffocating. They rarely allowed FURIA to build momentum on their T-sides. Vitality’s structure, timing, crossfires, and multi-layered retakes all came together to leave FURIA scrambling. Their dominance in defense made a path to the semis almost inevitable. 

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Key factors & standout contributions

CT strength as the backbone

Vitality’s 24–8 combined CT rounds across the tie highlight how their defensive approach was the difference. Whether holding ramp, vents, heaven, or site anchors, they tilted trades and controlled retake potential with smart utility usage.

Individual flashes

• ZywOo (Vitality) likely played a crucial role — as always — anchoring main positions, opening entries in retakes, and stabilizing rounds. (His legacy as star AWPer lends weight to this performance.)

• apEX, in his role as in-game leader, clearly built a CT side approach that maximized rotations and limited FURIA’s exploitation of mid-round pressure.

• FURIA’s molodoy, KSCERATO, yuurih and others had ups and downs — they showed flashes but were often shut down by coordinated Vitality setups.

Mental collapse & pressure turn

FURIA, after dropping map 2, faced a mountain on Nuke. Their T-sides lacked sustained breakthroughs, and they were pressed into executing with less map control than optimal. Against Vitality’s crisp defense, that proved costly.

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Significance & path ahead

• Semifinal berth secured for Vitality

• They join the last four to fight for the EPL title, setting up a map to further prove their consistency

• For FURIA, this marks a strong showing but a missed opportunity — their journey ends here in this event

Vitality’s emphatic CT showing and strategic resolve in pressure situations may serve as a blueprint for others: mastering defense in this meta is essential. If they carry this into the semis, they’ll be hard to stop.