Monte vs paIN - IEM Cologne 2026 Stage 2

Monte's struggles are real and cannot be ignored. They have dropped three of their last five matches, including a loss to BetBoom just 15 hours ago. The recent slump is a concern, with their winrate falling to 44% last month. But map pool dynamics can override form in a single series.

paiN are the aggressor here, having won both recent head-to-head meetings and riding a two-match winning streak at this Major. Their Nuke is elite, and they systematically ban Ancient to neutralize one of Monte's occasional outlets. On paper, paiN look like the cleaner team right now.

The catch is Monte's Dust2. A 65% winrate over 26 maps, picked frequently and often first-picked, gives them a structural anchor that paiN cannot easily answer. paiN's Ancient ban strategy actually does Monte a favor, keeping the map pool predictable and steering the series toward Monte's comfort zones. When Monte can dictate the map picks, their ceiling is higher than their current form suggests.

Thunderpick odds(at time of writing):

Monte to win 1.75

paIN to win 1.97