MOUZ vs. 9z at BLAST Open Porto 2026:The Rivalry 9z Keeps Winning
9z have beaten MOUZ three straight times, including both of their 2026 meetings — each time by taking Nuke after dropping the opening map. MOUZ, fresh off a long-awaited title, try to break the pattern.
MOUZ and 9z open Group B's second match at BLAST Open Porto 2026 with a rivalry already tilted one way: 9z have won the last three meetings between these two teams, including both times they've played in 2026.
Match
MOUZ vs. 9z
Tournament
BLAST Open Porto 2026Stage
Group B · Opening Round
Date
August 27, 2026
Time
13:30 CEST
Format
Best of 3
Player names link to their HLTV.org profiles.
A Third Meeting, the Same Script So Far
Both of this year's meetings followed an almost identical shape: MOUZ won the opening map, then 9z reverse-swept the next two. At BLAST Open Rotterdam in March, that meant losing Dust2 before taking Inferno and Nuke; at PGL Astana in May, MOUZ dominated Inferno 13-4 in between two 9z map wins, including Nuke both times. Whoever wins that specific map battle again may well decide this Bo3 the same way it's decided the last two.
MOUZ's New-Look Five, Fresh Off a Long-Awaited Title
MOUZ completed their current lineup in July, signing PR back from GamerLegion and settling in around 18-year-old xelex, who was promoted from the NXT academy team in April and has since been named HLTV's #1 Prospect for August after a standout comeback performance against GamerLegion at the Esports World Cup 2026. That new core delivered MOUZ's first trophy in 18 months at BLAST Bounty Summer 2026, beating Spirit 3-1 in the Bo5 final — before losing to FUT twice in the same EWC 2026 run, first in the upper-bracket decider and then again in the quarterfinal.
9z's Season-Long Climb Hits a Speed Bump
9z have had one of 2026's clearest improvement arcs, rising from outside HLTV's top 60 in January to an all-time-high of #5 in mid-July, capped by their biggest title to date at XSE Pro League, where HUASOPEEK won his first career MVP award. Their Esports World Cup 2026, though, was a step back — a group-stage exit after losses to FURIA and magic, missing the playoffs entirely. This match is a genuine test of whether that rise is the real level for this roster, or whether the EWC result was the more accurate read.
