The ESL Pro League Season 21 Grand Final is here between two teams that have won the competition in the past. Vitality and MOUZ are your teams vying for glory, both rosters coming into this event on the back of winning silverware. One team will go back-to-back, the other will remain proud of their progress.
But between Vitality and MOUZ, who has the best chance of lifting the trophy? I’m taking a look at these two teams and assessing their chances in this one – come take a look.
Vitality are hard to look past as big favorites
ESL Pro League Season 21 has only reaffirmed my belief that Vitality are the best CS2 team in the world right now. It’s just win after win for the team, who are managing to get a tune out of all of their players at the moment. Simply put, they come into this Grand Final as big favorites for anyone who has watched them consistently since the start of 2025.
ZywOo’s dethroning as the best CS2 player at the hands of donk last year seems to have lit a fire under the Frenchman. Frankly, he’s never looked better, so to have the firepower of flameZ, ropz, and mezii behind him is ridiculous. They don’t need tactical superiority over teams to beat them with that kind of lineup. The fact that they have that too is why they look nigh-unbeatable right now. It’s excellence from front to back, and yes, I’m waxing lyrical about Vitality, but they deserve it.
A Vitality victory in this Final would be the perfect way to back up their IEM Katowice win. It’s the only scenario I can envision in this particular matchup.
MOUZ’s ceiling is hard to read, but that could be an advantage
I’m once again repeating the sentiment that I have no clue how good this MOUZ roster is. They’re obviously good, but how good? Well, they keep winning, and that’s usually a sign of a good Counter-Strike team. Their Brollan IGL gambit seems to be paying dividends, and now, a consecutive Grand Final appearance is their reward. But what chance do they have of actually beating Vitality?
For my money, the odds aren’t great. It’s a best-of-five Final, making the map pool extremely important in this matchup. I just think Vitality’s map pool is a tad deeper at the moment, with them seemingly able to find a result anywhere. Let’s not forget that these teams have already met at ESL Pro League Season 21 so far, where Vitality ran out convincing 2:0 winners there. Personally, I’m expecting a repeat result. That kind of confidence could work to MOUZ’s advantage, though. There’s every chance they’re already better than I’m giving them credit for, which could give them an interesting edge coming into this Final.
Let’s just say MOUZ have a chance, though (and they do!). What’s the win condition? For me, the burden falls on torzsi. He’s the most important player for MOUZ, a player with the magic touch and ability to make something from nothing. Players like this are a rare breed, which is why he needs to show up in a big way in this upcoming Grand Final. Of course, they’ll need more from everyone all around based on the previous match against Vitality, but torzsi is the one MOUZ will look to if they need to be bailed out of trouble.
My prediction: Vitality 3:0 MOUZ
