Espada wins WINNERS League with amazing comeback against Nemiga
Espada surprised an entire region on Friday by defeating Nemiga Gaming to become the WINNERS League Season 3 European champions.
Neither fans saw this one coming. Espada beat Nemiga 2-0 with a 16-13 win on Nemiga’s map pick, Nuke, while managing to take their own pick as well in a miraculous comeback on Overpass.
Given how DreamHack Open Leipzig’s opening matches were a snoozefest, WINNERS League Season 3 likely offered fans the best Counter-Strike: Global Offensive action of the day.
Espada owned Nemiga’s Nuke, Dima showed off in WINNERS League Finals
When Espada lost the initial pistol round, the majority of viewers expected Nemiga to dominate, as they did throughout WINNERS League Season 3. After seven rounds, however, it was clear that this wasn’t the same Nemiga or the same Espada that fans had been watching.
By the end of the first half, Espada had held their ground against Nemiga, but momentum had swung back in the Belarusians’ favor with an 8-7 score. Espada and Nemiga traded the first six rounds of the second half before Dmitriy “Dima” Bandurka decided he’d rather play Overpass.
Dima clutched an impressive one versus three to tie the game at 12-12 before Espada finally ended the map 16-13. Three of Espada’s five players posted a rating higher than 1.29 while Vladislav “FinigaN” Usov led the team with an 86.2% KAST.
Espada pulls off amazing comeback to win EU WINNERS League Season 3
When Overpass started, it looked like Nemiga had finally warmed up. They immediately took control on the CT side, stifling Espada at every turn. By the end of the first half, Nemiga seemingly had the game in the bag with a 12-3 lead.
In a CT side performance that brought back memories of Cloud9’s comeback win against FaZe Clan at the 2018 ELEAGUE Boston Major, Espada ran it back on their CT side. The team only allowed two rounds on defense, besting the favored Nemiga 16-14 and claiming the European WINNERS League Season 3 title for their own.
While Espada was the underdog coming into the finals, they left as champions. The match concludes WINNERS League’s third season on a high note during the first real day of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive competition in 2020.
Espada will wear the crown until they return to defend it in WINNERS League Season 4 or relinquish it for another up-and-coming team to claim.
M Alzamora
About M Alzamora
There are few things that writer M Alzamora loves more in life than Pokemon. And there are even fewer things that she loves more than her favorite Pokemon, Eevee. But M’s appreciation for gaming isn’t just limited to Nintendo’s famous pocket monsters. She’s interested in every type of game across every genre of gaming, and she has the credentials to prove it. M’s work has also been seen on Working Classicists and gaming sites.
View full profile
Read Also
Esports Betting
Here’s the complete Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026 schedule
Hannan Mundia
The Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026 has finally arrived, and here’s the complete schedule for the event to ensure you don’t miss anything. While it isn’t exactly the newest name in the esports scene, the EWC has quickly become a leading event for esports fans worldwide. It brings together professional players and fans from various games, combining them into one long event that everyone can enjoy. 2026’s Esports World Cup ...
Counter-Strike
XSE Pro League 2026 in China: Teams, format and prize pool
Owen Harsono
Counter-Strike is back after the IEM Cologne Major, as the XSE Pro League 2026 is the first notable event since then. 16 teams book flights to China to compete in the million-dollar event. Here’s everything you need to know about the XSE Pro League 2026 event. Top-tier Counter-Strike returns to the passionate grounds of China, as the event will take place in the city of Guangzhou. Teams will play in ...
Esports Betting
Will Valve add Cache in the CS2 Premier Season 5 Active Duty map pool?
Wasif Ahmed
Following the highly anticipated return of Cache to Counter-Strike 2 earlier this season, the competitive community has almost started believing that the legendary industrial map would soon make its way into the Active Duty map pool for Premier Season 5. This expectation followed a pattern set by Train, which Valve brought back late last year before quickly pushing it into the main professional tournament rotation. However, in a recent Twitter ...
Counter-Strike
IEM Cologne Grand Final: Team Falcons vs FURIA best betting predictions
Owen Harsono
Coming into the IEM Cologne Major, nobody would have expected a grand final series between Team Falcons and FURIA, but here we are. Will NiKo finally win his first Major, or will FalleN win another one before retiring at the end of the year? Here are our IEM Cologne Major Grand Final predictions. Tournament: IEM Cologne Major 2026 Stage: Grand Final Game: Counter-Strike 2 Format: Best-of-five Betting tip: Team Falcons ...
Counter-Strike
Team Spirit vs Team Falcons IEM Cologne Major: betting predictions and picks
Owen Harsono
We’re in for a treat, as Team Spirit will take on Team Falcons for a spot in the IEM Cologne Major grand final. Will NiKo finally get another shot at winning a Major, or will donk and company prevent him from accomplishing his lifelong goal? Here are our IEM Cologne Major Team Spirit vs Team Falcons predictions. Tournament: IEM Cologne Major 2026 Stage: Semi-Final Game: Counter-Strike 2 Format: Best-of-three Betting ...
Counter-Strike
Vitality vs Falcons betting predictions and best picks: IEM Cologne Major 2026
Owen Harsono
We’re treated to a possible grand final matchup here in the quarterfinal of the IEM Cologne Major, with Team Vitality taking on Team Falcons in an elimination match. These are two of the highest-profile teams in the game right now, but only one of them can continue their chase for the trophy. Here are our IEM Cologne Major Team Vitality vs Team Falcons predictions. Tournament: IEM Cologne Major 2026 Stage: ...
Counter-Strike
IEM Cologne Major 2026 playoffs preview: matchups & predictions
Owen Harsono
The top eight teams at the IEM Cologne 2026 Major are set. Most of the favorites easily secured their spots, but we also have promising underdogs sneaking into the bracket. To keep you up to speed, here’s everything you need to know about the IEM Cologne Major playoffs. We started with 32 teams and are now only down to eight. After a grueling Stage 3, teams have been seeded into ...
