IEM Cologne 2025 has reached the playoffs, but having so few teams doesn’t make match predictions any easier.
24 teams came to Germany for a shot to play at the “Cathedral of Counter-Strike,” but only six have earned the honor. MOUZ, Team Spirit, Natus Vincere, FURIA, The MongolZ, and Team Vitality are the only ones left in contention for the $400,000 grand prize. With the opening matchups drawn, the playoffs will start with two contested best-of-threes. Natus Vincere and The MongolZ have plenty of history between them while MOUZ and FURIA has much less prededence. Still, we think we know which teams will come out on top and reach the final four of IEM Cologne 2025.
IEM Cologne 2025: Na’Vi vs The MongolZ prediction
Natus Vincere took a tough road the playoffs, facing down FaZe Clan in the first round before falling to MOUZ in the second. The lower bracket wasn’t kind either, with an unexpectedly close victory over Ninjas in Pyjamas. The squad got its mojo back for a heartbreak repeat over FaZe. Mihai “iM” Ivan is picking up the slack with 90.6 damage per round and a 1.32 rating. Meanwhile, Aleksi “Aleksib” Virolainen is lagging behind with just .50 kills a round. The squad can usually count on its captain for a few frags, and he hopefully finds his form at church.
Image Credit: Joao Ferreira, PGL
Compared to Na’Vi, The MongolZ were on easy street. Two quick 2-0s over 3DMAX and Team Falcons were enough to secure playoffs. Team Vitality understandably denied a semi-finals berth. While relatively untested, Azbayar “Senzu” Munkhbold is clearly in top form. .83 kills per round with 62.4% headshots solidly makes him the player to watch. Unfortunately, he is the only player with a positive KD ratio in Germany.
Image Credit: PGL
The two teams are at an even 2-2 in 2025 with the most recent win going to The MongolZ at PGL Astana 2025 in May.
Our prediction for Na’Vi vs The MongolZ at IEM Cologne 2025 is that Na’Vi will take it 2-1 with a tight third map. Na’Vi’s firepower is spread much more evenly, and just a few bad rounds from Senzu could doom the squad. Still, we expect both teams to win their own map picks and strike down to a decider on either Ancient or Mirage.
IEM Cologne 2025: MOUZ vs FURIA prediction
MOUZ fans had their hearts broken at the end of the group stage. After big wins over Team Liquid and Na’Vi, the team went into deep overtime against Team Spirit to force a third map for the win-and-in. Whether it was stamina or skills, the international roster faltered and is forced to play an extra game if it hopes to reach the podium. Both Jimi “Jimpphat” Salo and Dorian “xertioN” Berman are on point, combing for a +47 kill differential.
Image Credit: Stephanie Lindgren, PGL
As for FURIA, the Brazilian roster had an tournament worth of storyline all in the group stage. A tumble against G2 Esports in the opener ended with revenge as FURIA handed back its own 2-0 to qualify. It’s match against Team Falcons looked a little shaky, but in-game leader Gabriel “FalleN” Toledo has somehow made its tight map pool work wonders. Kazakh transplant Danil “molodoy” Golubenko and hometown hero Kaike “KSCERATO” Cerato are coming up big with 1.19 HLTV ratings each.
Image Credit: Adam Lakomy, ESL
These squads have much less history. MOUZ is 1-0 against FURIA in 2025, though it was a tight 2-1 at ESL Pro League 21 way back in March.
Based on current form, we think MOUZ in two tight maps is the most likely outcome. The Europeans simply have more maps to work with. Striking out Dust 2 should put FURIA off balance before the server even starts, and Nuke or Train may as well be guaranteed wins. However, this matchup is extremely volatile, and one player either playing absent or popping off could swing everything.