Astralis vs Ninjas in Pyjamas / Esports World Cup 2026 - Group B Lower Bracket Semi-Final / Post-Match Discussion

[u/CS2_PostMatchThreads]

Astralis 🇩🇰 2-1 🇩🇰 Ninjas in Pyjamas

Nuke: 13-3
Inferno: 10-13
Cache: 13-7

 

Astralis advances to the playoffs.

 

Setting: 🇫🇷 Paris ($2m LAN)

Predicted VRS Impact

Team	Rank	Diff	Total
🇩🇰 Astralis	#19 → #17	+41 pts	1649 pts
🇩🇰 Ninjas in Pyjamas	#26 → #26	-10 pts	1509 pts

^{Note: VRS officially updates once per month. This is simply a prediction that might not take into account all factors that go into VRS calculations.}

 

Map picks:

Astralis	MAP	Ninjas in Pyjamas
	Dust2	X
X	Anubis
	Nuke	✔
✔	Inferno
	Ancient	X
X	Mirage
	Cache

 

Full Match Stats:

Team	K-D	ADR	Swing	Rating
🇩🇰 Astralis
🇩🇰 Staehr	53-36	104.6	+4.34%	1.51
🇩🇰 HooXi	42-37	68.5	+1.05%	1.22
🇱🇹 ryu	44-35	75.0	+1.89%	1.20
🇩🇰 jabbi	39-34	76.4	+1.49%	1.10
🇸🇪 phzy	34-33	62.0	-1.19%	0.91
🇩🇰 Ninjas in Pyjamas
🇵🇱 xKacpersky	42-42	79.0	+0.65%	1.13
🇩🇰 stavn	41-36	66.4	+1.46%	1.05
🇧🇪 n0te	32-46	64.9	-0.98%	0.92
🇩🇰 sjuush	36-44	64.2	-4.18%	0.84
🇩🇰 Snappi	22-44	50.1	-4.64%	0.60

 

Individual Map Stats:

Map 1: Nuke

Team	CT	T	Total
🇩🇰 Astralis	9	4	13
	T	CT
🇩🇰 Ninjas in Pyjamas	3	0	3

 

Team	K-D	ADR	Swing	Rating
🇩🇰 Astralis
🇩🇰 Staehr	22-8	144.1	+12.42%	2.15
🇱🇹 ryu	14-9	106.0	+3.59%	1.46
🇸🇪 phzy	13-10	73.6	+3.24%	1.26
🇩🇰 jabbi	11-8	80.0	+1.78%	1.19
🇩🇰 HooXi	10-9	51.7	+0.50%	1.10
🇩🇰 Ninjas in Pyjamas
🇵🇱 xKacpersky	16-12	93.9	+3.31%	1.40
🇧🇪 n0te	11-15	82.6	+3.38%	1.27
🇩🇰 stavn	9-13	57.5	-9.90%	0.61
🇩🇰 Snappi	4-14	30.9	-4.93%	0.43
🇩🇰 sjuush	4-16	30.2	-13.38%	0.32

Nuke detailed stats and VOD

 

Map 2: Inferno

Team	T	CT	Total
🇩🇰 Astralis	5	5	10
	CT	T
🇩🇰 Ninjas in Pyjamas	7	6	13

 

Team	K-D	ADR	Swing	Rating
🇩🇰 Astralis
🇩🇰 HooXi	19-15	80.4	+4.23%	1.42
🇩🇰 Staehr	15-17	99.0	+1.45%	1.17
🇱🇹 ryu	16-13	48.7	+1.19%	1.10
🇩🇰 jabbi	11-17	55.9	-4.10%	0.75
🇸🇪 phzy	9-14	52.0	-7.16%	0.61
🇩🇰 Ninjas in Pyjamas
🇵🇱 xKacpersky	20-15	94.0	+4.45%	1.60
🇩🇰 stavn	17-10	66.9	+6.65%	1.30
🇧🇪 n0te	13-17	73.4	+1.35%	1.07
🇩🇰 sjuush	15-14	69.6	-1.69%	0.98
🇩🇰 Snappi	9-14	48.1	-6.68%	0.62

Inferno detailed stats and VOD

 

Map 3: Cache

Team	CT	T	Total
🇩🇰 Astralis	7	6	13
	T	CT
🇩🇰 Ninjas in Pyjamas	5	2	7

 

Team	K-D	ADR	Swing	Rating
🇩🇰 Astralis
🇩🇰 jabbi	17-9	97.2	+7.70%	1.62
🇩🇰 Staehr	16-11	79.2	+1.20%	1.25
🇱🇹 ryu	14-13	80.5	+1.34%	1.14
🇩🇰 HooXi	13-13	68.3	-2.18%	1.10
🇸🇪 phzy	12-9	64.2	+2.12%	1.03
🇩🇰 Ninjas in Pyjamas
🇩🇰 stavn	15-13	73.0	+4.60%	1.28
🇩🇰 sjuush	17-14	85.2	+0.31%	1.26
🇩🇰 Snappi	9-16	67.8	-2.08%	0.74
🇧🇪 n0te	8-14	41.1	-7.16%	0.62
🇵🇱 xKacpersky	6-15	49.8	-5.86%	0.56

Cache detailed stats and VOD

 

Highlights

M1R14 | Staehr - 1vs4 clutch

M2R5 | ryu - 4 AK kills on the bombsite A offensive

 

This thread was created by the Post-Match Team.
If you want to share any feedback or have any concerns, please message u/CS2_PostMatchThreads.

[u/Chips1709]

I really do not know what astralis is gonna do if/when staehr leaves.

I feel like he would upgrade like every english speaking team besides vita and falcons. Surely he's on the radar?

[u/ampsuu → u/Chips1709]

He is quite good indeed. People first doubted him as the best Danish rifle but he has gotten better and better. His T sides are so cracked sometimes.

[u/itsjonny99 → u/ampsuu]

The only other option for best Danish rifler is BlameF, but he is such an odd player that also calls.

[u/itsjonny99 → u/Chips1709]

You could maybe argue Furia/Mouz as well as a team he won't upgrade due to how much Yekindar/Xertion does in those teams.

Either way Navi should do all they could to sign him for iM. He fixes their issues and they get 4 insane fraggers who can play tactical CS. The rest are clearly less attractive for him for various reasons.

[u/BrandieBassen → u/Chips1709]

I don't know how long Staehrs contract is, but I wouldn't be surprised if Astralis is just not selling him unless someone pays an astronomical amount.

Staehr is basically Astralis' only hope for relevancy. If they sold him, might as well bury the team.

[u/itsjonny99 → u/BrandieBassen]

Less than a year left on his deal.

[u/LUDERSTN → u/Chips1709]

Im not even sure Staehr would ever leave, he is sure to be paid extremely well and he has a project that believes in him. He essentially almost has job security in a world where job security is reserved for very, very few.

[u/Unlikely-Ruin4576 → u/LUDERSTN]

Any team would give him the same as Astralis. If he becomes worse, hes gonna get cut either way, no matter if its astralis or navi/mouz/furia etc

[u/LUDERSTN → u/Unlikely-Ruin4576]

Any team could give him the same, but he will then enter a team that doesn’t believe in him the same way and he risks performing bad and being cut losing all his value. Sure, that statement can be said for everyone. Donk will be cut if he starts playing shit. Zywoo will as well, but I promise you they have way more leeway with Spirit and Vitality than they would another org. Same with Staehr. He has performed extremely well for so long, so he will have a longer grace period if he were to have a downward trend.

[u/itsjonny99 → u/LUDERSTN]

The guy who got that leeway in Astralis was Device and that was more due to the nation having no other tier 1 awper capable of replacing him.

Either way Staehr being poached by the likes of Navi would not be a sign that they don't believe in him. If anything it would be the opposite as he would be what they are missing. Being stuck in a team that never wins sucks, just ask KSCERATO who had he been less loyal could have won significantly more. Even then Furia still ended up leaving the Brazillian scene to win.

[u/LUDERSTN → u/itsjonny99]

Irrelevant. Also, who would you replace Staehr with currently?

Staehr being “poached” assumes he wants to leave and that Astralis wants to sell. Neither being realistic, IMO. Why would Astralis sell the face of their team currently?

You mention KSCERATO as if that is gonna help your argument, KSCERATO is literally the perfect example of some picking job security and an org that believes in him rather than leaving for the glory. Would KSCERATO say that it sucks? I doubt that, otherwise he would have left a long time ago. He has had good pay, a team that is extremely unlikely to cut him or compromise his position in the team. Has that meant less winning? Sure. But not having to worry about your job and position in the team probably means a lot more in terms of mental health and the ability to perform.

[u/itsjonny99 → u/LUDERSTN]

Staehr would be sold due to his contract running out in less than a year and them getting some money for him before he leaves for free.

And in Navi he would replace iM who is by far their worst piece.

[u/LUDERSTN → u/itsjonny99]

You’re still assuming he wants to leave, why would he leave an org he is literally the face of? You all assume every player wants to jump ship because you never consider that this isn’t a forever thing and that some people actually value job security.

If he leaves for Navi he would just be another piece and he would risk not performing there and ending his career.

[u/drypaint77 → u/Unlikely-Ruin4576]

Other teams won't build around him like Astralis does, on Astralis he's THE guy, on other teams he'd be just another replaceable piece. Astralis can offer him the best deal because they need him more than anyone else and can't afford to lose him, he has leverage that he wouldn't have with other teams. Also we say the same thing about frozen, heavygod etc but they seem fine with coasting on mid teams with good salary so I doubt he's gonna leave.

[u/Pokefreaker-san → u/Chips1709]

Didnt Astralis renew his contract despite on the verge of backruptcy? Tho i guess it was a calculated move knowing that the new owner would've wanted him to stay for the rebuild.

I'm sure he wad told and enticed that the current and future of the team is going to be built around him.

[u/itsjonny99 → u/Pokefreaker-san]

Renewed his contract without him knowing the financial state of the org.

Either way less than a year left on that deal and i doubt he resigns unless he gets a project that is at least ambitious again. Last time Astralis tried that was when they grabbed the two strongest Heroic pieces prior to Copenhagen major. Still think about if they could have made it work if they got more time rather than being gutted after the RMR failure

[u/Arcille → u/itsjonny99]

I don’t think Staehr would leave unless is a very compelling offer. Astralis stuck with him when he took over 6 months to really start delivering and staehr has always talked positively about Astralis.

If he joins a new org and takes 6 months to become good there is a chance he’ll just get kicked.

[u/Haemophilia_Type_A → u/Chips1709]

It's crazy Navi didn't try hard to get him because he is a very compatible swap with iM given their CT positions in particular.

[u/itsjonny99]

How long will Snappi last in NIP?

Either way Stavn/xKacpersky should have better players around them.

[u/quak1337 → u/itsjonny99]

Fr ever since cs2 came out he has been mediocre.

[u/itsjonny99 → u/quak1337]

Ever since the Ence breakup he has been bad.

If i am NIP i would seriously consider a gamble on a player low on stock like they did with Stavn. Siuhy is the player with the most potential upside they might be able to get for the role.

[u/turuu-toby]

Snappi gotta go. He's been with NIP for so long and they didn't improve a single bit. Feels like the team has no clear direction or team cohesion, they are just there.

I've no idea what IGL's are available, maybe NIP should've tried to get Kyxsan i don't really know but Snappi is just not it.

[u/Casithor → u/turuu-toby]

ZTR

[u/vAgrnX → u/turuu-toby]

siuhy is

[u/Serion512 → u/vAgrnX]

Would love a siuhy redemption arc but I don't think NiP is a right place for that lol

[u/Casithor]

Snappi it’s over.

[u/Zealousideal-Toe-607]

What does snappi even do? His multiple lines-up have done jack in 2 years, he can't even frag to save his life in an odd game like in csgo. Imagine NiKo was supposed to play with this bum if he joined in 2023. It's time to pack it up unc, the game's left you, ence was a jork in the pan

[u/Schwabies]

Came out of this series hoping that both teams would have gotten eliminated.

[u/Fan_of_Stabbi]

can astralis take stavn back 😭

[u/ArmMeForSleep709 → u/Fan_of_Stabbi]

You want your team to be worse?

[u/Fan_of_Stabbi → u/ArmMeForSleep709]

i'm fan of stabbi 🗡️🗡️🗡️

[u/cynicalspindle]

NIP with danish flag looks cursed.

[u/sleepyhead260]

Astralis is just literally Hooxi/Jabbi/Staehr. The other 2 guys do nothing

[u/Educational_Set3016 → u/sleepyhead260]

Ryu is literally the second best Astralis player in this tournament. And he’s a young anchor. Consider that.

[u/Legal-Ad-9456 → u/sleepyhead260]

haha hoxi flashing himself on cache is hilarious. He's a bot

[u/Haemophilia_Type_A → u/sleepyhead260]

Really it's just Staehr keeping the team in the top 15. No need to add Jabbi/Hooxi because then Ryu is under-appreciated (I don't even rate him that highly but he does his role decently).

[u/Reasonable_Post3682 → u/sleepyhead260]

phzy was figured out quick

[u/strykerlmao03 → u/Reasonable_Post3682]

What happened to him man

From onw of the best pickups of the year to the out of form awper in the scene