In about a month, we’re actually coming up on the one-year anniversary of the first time we got to see these two lineups match up against each other - a game that would turn out to be the first of many.

But really, we’re not complaining. Who can forget such classic games as when Vitality beat MOUZ in Stockholm (twice), when Vitality beat MOUZ in Lisbon, or when Vitality beat MOUZ in Copenhagen, Dallas, and Austin?

Yeah, it’s getting a bit old.

We’re sure the MOUZ players feel the same way. With 58 maps played against Vitality in four years - the team he has faced the most times in his career - torzsi’s 0.97 rating and sloppy win rate must have some part of him asking why he keeps banging his head against the same brick wall.

But this time it might be different.

There’s one game we didn’t mention in that previous paragraph - Cologne. The last time MOUZ stacked up against Vitality in a prestige event semi-final, just like this one in Kraków, the reigning Major champions got beaten pretty comfortably and had to fly home early.

At the time, that was actually not just the first stage match, but the first BO3 overall, Vitality lost since the start of their legendary win streak of the 2025 spring season. And while it was a group stage game, MOUZ managed to repeat the win later that year in Chengdu.

Even now, Vitality look wounded compared to last year, with an uncharacteristic loss in BLAST Bounty and some worryingly close maps against opponents they really shouldn’t need to worry about. It’s a tricky stunt for MOUZ to pull off, but there’s a chance they manage to thread the needle this time.

After all, if at first you don’t succeed…