The BLAST Open Porto is finally here and it will be decided as Spirit and MOUZ meet in a rematch of the BLAST Bounty Season 2 Finals.

Just over a month ago, MOUZ surprised many by defeating Spirit 3-1 to lift their first trophy of the season. That final wasn’t particularly close either. MOUZ stole Spirit’s Dust2 pick before comfortably closing out the series, leaving the world’s number one team empty-handed. This time, Spirit have the perfect opportunity to respond.

Spirit arrive in outstanding form

It’s difficult to find many weaknesses in Spirit at the moment. The Russians have won ten consecutive matches heading into the grand final, dropping just three maps during that run. Their latest title came at the Esports World Cup, where they defeated FUT 3-1 in the grand final. While the scoreline looked convincing, the match itself was far closer, with two of the maps requiring overtime.

Their route to the Porto final has been equally impressive. Spirit swept DENDELE, G2, FURIA and Falcons without dropping a map, showing once again why they’re regarded as the world’s best team.

As always, the spotlight falls on donk and sh1ro. Donk continues to produce performances that very few players in Counter-Strike history have been capable of. When he’s playing at this level and sh1ro provides his usual consistency behind him, Spirit become an incredibly difficult team to stop.

MOUZ have stars of their own

MOUZ, however, have already shown they know how to beat Spirit. Spinx has been one of the standout players of BLAST Open Porto, continuing the form that made him one of the biggest stars during his time with Vitality. Alongside him, xelex has justified MOUZ’s decision to promote him from MOUZ NXT following Jimpphat’s departure, delivering composed performances throughout the tournament.

Their run to the final has been equally convincing. MOUZ topped their group before defeating Vitality in straight maps, extending an excellent run of form that has made them one of the hottest teams in Counter-Strike.

Can history repeat itself?

The previous grand final between these teams proved that MOUZ have the tactical depth to challenge Spirit. But finals rarely play out the same way twice.

Spirit have looked even stronger since that defeat, carrying momentum from their Esports World Cup triumph straight into Porto. More importantly, they’ll remember exactly how that BLAST Bounty final slipped away. That should provide all the motivation they need.

Verdict

MOUZ have every reason to believe they can beat Spirit again after their convincing victory in the BLAST Bounty final. However, Spirit have responded by putting together one of the strongest runs of form seen this season, winning ten straight matches while barely dropping maps.

With revenge on their minds and donk continuing to play at an extraordinary level, Spirit look ready to reclaim the title they lost just a few weeks ago.

Tip

Spirit to win 3-1