Two famous academy teams face off in European Pro League 2nd Division Season 8’s first Upper Semi-final, as NAVI Junior take on Spirit Academy in a fierce matchup.

CS2 odds used in this article were provided by one of the best CS2 betting sites, Pinnacle.

NAVI Junior vs Spirit Academy Match Preview

NAVI Junior

NAVI Junior is known to produce exceptional talent, having nurtured great players such as Ilya “m0NESY” Osipov, Valeriy “b1t” Vakhovskiy, or Daniil “headtr1ck” Valitov.

The Stockholm Major Champions’ academy roster looks quite different nowadays, as overtime they transitioned into an international lineup, consisting of two Ukrainians, two Kosovars, and one Romanian player.

The squad’s journey at this tournament began with a 2-0 victory over NOM, which setup their Upper Semi-final matchup against Spirit Academy. The NAVI Junior players will be eager to prove themselves and best their CIS rivals in a head-to-head match.

Spirit Academy

With the bulk of Spirit Academy’s former squad being promoted up to the main roster, they were forced to completely revamp their team and bring in some new and promising talent to lead their project.

The player standing out among his teammates at the moment is Kirill “Magnojez” Rodnov, who’s been in stellar form since joining the team, averaging a staggering 1.34 rating in the 21 maps played in the Spirit Academy jersey.

Unfortunately, the rest of the team is not keeping up with the 19-year-old’s level and often fails to deliver on the server. However, beating The Witchers in their opening match could have given them the confidence boost that they needed to elevate their game.

NAVI Junior vs Spirit Academy Odds & Prediction

Pinnacle Esports have Spirit Academy as favourites to defeat NAVI Junior and move on into the European Pro League 2nd Division Season 8 Upper Bracket Final. However, there definitely is a chance for an upset.

• Prediction: NAVI Junior (1-2) Spirit Academy
• Odds: NAVI Junior Win (+191/2.910), Spirit Academy Win (-267/1.375)
• CS2 Betting Site: Pinnacle

All odds accessed are accurate at the time of writing and are liable to change.

Hero Image Credits: Natus Vincere