Ninjas in Pyjamas will once again compete in the CS:GO grand final of IEM Oakland after defeating SK Gaming 2-1 in the semi-finals.

NiP also defeated SK Gaming in the same event last year but that time it was in the final and crowned them as champions.

The team has struggled this year but could finally return to their former glory with help from their mental coach, Jens Hofer.

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Ninjas in Pyjamas defeated SK Gaming 2-1 to progress to the IEM Oakland CS:GO grand final

Sports psychologist Jens Hofer has played a huge role in the team's improved performances

Sports psychologist Hofer formerly coached basketball and football before moving into esports at start of this year when he joined Fnatic's League of Legends team.

After their struggles in the first half of the season, he followed the coach Nicholas 'NicoThePico' Korsgard to Ninjas in Pyjamas. After their LoL team struggled he moved to their CS:GO team where he appears to have had a great impact.

Hofer says it's been easy tranistioning into esports: 'A lot of the things that we work on in sports is the same in esports.

NiP are the reigning IEM Oakland CS:GO champions after they defeated SK Gaming last year

'How to handle pressure, how to prepare, how to handle the reflection afterwards, how to handle the frustration when you make mistakes. When they understand what they need to pinpoint and work on, it becomes a lot easier.'

And multiple members of the NiP roster agreed that the emotional help has been a huge boost to the team. William Fant 'Draken' Sundin admitted: 'Jens has helped me out a lot with my anger issues and letting things go.

'For example, if I made a bad play I might think about it the whole game but now I realise I have to look forward and each session focus only on getting better and better.'

And Hofer says that by dealing with the team's frustrations, the players now communicate much better - keeping a steady line of speech giving information even after dying in-game.

The NiP players appear focussed and driven - ready to be a successful team once again. Their coach has even had them exercising and eating healthily to ensure that all of the players have energy to practise all day.

NiP will have to put their training to good use as they handle the pressure of facing FaZe Clan in the IEM final with $125,000 (£94.5k) available to the winner. Can Hofer's discipline make the difference and lead them to a consecutive IEM Oakland victory?

For more content on CS:GO and NiP head over to Betway's blog.