This article was originally published on GameSpot's sister site onGamers.com, which was dedicated to esports coverage.

　　SK Gaming splitting the top with Gambit. Alliance, Fnatic and Roccat doing all in their power to break the top 3. Millenium's relegation fate sealed. Those three statements were unthinkable at the beginning of the split. As we all know, however, Europe is the most competitive region once it comes to League of Legends. Fortunately for us, the viewers, anyone from the top 6 can comfortably finish first, depending on the performance of their direct opposition. SK and Gambit continue leading the pack, despite lackluster performances in week 9.

　　The standings post week 9.Simply a win behind are three monstrous line-ups who eagerly await a misstep from the top two. Fnatic, Alliance and Roccat form the mid-table deadlock as all three seek clean 2-0 performances this week, thus setting the best environment for a last stand in super week 11. Truth be told, even the Copenhagen Wolves could easily finish above 5th place, depending on how the "big dogs" play it out between themselves. Unfortunately for Supa Hot Crew and Millenium, their future is in danger. While mathematically, SHC do have chances to finish above the dangerous spots, their recent roster swap makes them an easier opponent.

Teams to watch:

　　The talented bunch have seemingly found their "mojo" and have begun the relentless assault onto the opposition. Statistics are heavily in their favour - the team has one loss in its last 8 matches, including a clean 4-0 sweep in super week 8. However, the lads have a tough road ahead of them in week 10. They are facing a solid SK Gaming and a hungry Roccat, direct opponents for the top 3 spots. Should they win, Alliance could potentially rise to first place after week 10. Should they fall, the danger of relegation is never that far in the EU LCS. Regardless, we are in for a treat as their aggressive and bold style yields tons of entertainment for the viewer.

　　Copenhagen Wolves:

　　The Wolves have a relatively balanced week ahead of them. With games against a weak Millenium and an unpredictable Roccat, they could set themselves up for a great super week 11. The line-up, lead by Forg1ven, had a rough time in weeks 8 and 9 as they won 3 out of 6 games, putting themselves on the thin line between playoffs and relegation. Despite the minor setback, the team has what it takes to bounce back and potentially, break the top 4. Continuing on with their aggressive play style, they should have an easy time against Millenium, but should be very careful once they face Roccat. Although the Wolves hold a positive record against the latter, the Poles will definitely be seeking to "fix" that.

　　SK Gaming:

　　The gradual rise of SK has been noted by everyone, with fans and viewers praising every member for the great job they have been doing since the beginning of the split. This week, it is "do or die" for them. Facing two direct opponents - Alliance and Gambit, they probably have the toughest time of all the top 5. A misstep here could prove to be a disaster and potentially nullify all the hard work they have done during the regular season. On the other hand, should they grab a clean 2-0, SK Gaming can boldly set their sights on finishing first in the regular season. A feat many deemed impossible.

Players to watch:

　　Fnatic's form continues to be a bit shaky. After their runner-up finish at IEM Cologne, the team had a successful week 9, going 2-0 against Roccat and the Wolves. Despite that, Fnatic are now facing the consequences of their mid-season "slump", tying Roccat and Alliance in a very dangerous scenario. Strangely enough, the team's success seems correlated with how well xPeke does. Should the Spaniard flip the switch and channel his inner beast, we can expect a crushing and decisive victory in week 10. If he does not deliver, then the team could potentially find themselves dropping down to 6th place, the relegation line.

　　Marcus "Kottenx" Tingvall:

　　The debutante this week in the EU LCS for Millenium is jungler Kottenx. Previously being a part of known line-ups such as AbsoluteLegends, Na'Vi, Team EloBlade and Team Alternate, the Swede is relatively known within the pro scene. Given the fact that Marcus has had no LCS experience, it would be very interesting to see how he would fare against the elite opposition. Burdened by the difficult task of establishing good chemistry with the rest of the squad, Kottenx will be facing Copenhagen Wolves' Amazing and Fnatic's Cyanide, both considered to be benchmark junglers by peers and viewers alike. Good luck!

　　Konstantinos "Forg1ven" Tzortziou:

　　All eyes are on the Greek beast this week. Copenhagen Wolves are in a perfect position to siege the spots above and there is no better person to step up than Konstantinos. Backed-up by Unlimited, the Caitlyn maestro will be expected to wreak havoc among the opposition, namely Millenium and Roccat. So far, the bot lane of Creaton and Jree has not given them troubles and the clean 3-0 record in direct clashes between the teams, heavily swings the favour in the Wolves' direction. Thus, the true test will lie in the match with Vander and Celaver. Greece versus Poland will be the featured match up this week, a clash that is not to be missed!

Top game to watch:

　　The featured match-up this week is between the two seeking to break the stalemate in the middle of the leader board. A hungry Alliance is looking to go all-in and demolish the competition in order to secure the best possible environment once all the cards go down in super week 11. On the other hand, the Polish monsters from Roccat desperately want to regain their form from the early season in order to finish the job and place as highly as possible prior to the playoffs.

　　Alliance - Red, Roccat - Blue, Average - TanAs you can see from the direct comparison, the teams are neck-a-neck in almost every category. Alliance edge out their opponents by a whisker once it comes to Champions killed, but we can attribute that to the exemplary performance of the team in the past three weeks - winning 7 of their last 8 matches (not to mention Froggen receiving the MVP of the week award twice in succession). Both teams are in a do-or-die situation as the outcome of this match may cost them dearly once the regular season finishes. Roccat will be looking to end the six-game winning streak of their opponents, while Alliance will have to go the extra mile to prove that they have what it takes to successfully break the top 3. Bottom line, we are in for a spectacle between two giants!

　　The last "normal" week begins tomorrow at 18:00 CET. The chess pieces will once again be rearranged prior to the final showdown in week 11 with both players and viewers eagerly anticipating the matches to come.

　　Images courtesy of lolesports.com and Eclypsia.