AEK Athens vs LASK: Champions League Clash of In-Form Teams
Two in‑form leaders. One early marker in the Champions League campaign.
AEK Athens and LASK meet for the first time at this level on 8 Sept 2026, with kick-off set for 17:45. Both sides sit top of their respective Champions League groups, turning this into far more than a routine early fixture. It already feels like a tone-setter for the months ahead.
AEK purring under Nikolic
Marko Nikolic has AEK Athens humming. Four wins and a draw from their last five in all competitions tell part of the story, but the numbers behind it are even more emphatic: 16 goals scored, just one conceded.
They arrive on the back of a 5-0 demolition of Aris Thessaloniki in the Super League, a result that underlined their attacking swagger and defensive control. Earlier in August, a 4-0 win over Iraklis added more weight to the sense of a side hitting stride early. Three straight victories, three statement performances.
Nikolic is expected to go strong again. Thomas Strakosha anchors a settled side from goal, with the midfield built around the blend of control and creativity offered by Razvan Marin, Lovro Majer, and Kaan Kairinen. Up front, Luka Jovic and Barnabas Varga provide a potent, contrasting partnership: Jovic’s penalty-box instincts alongside Varga’s physical presence and work rate.
There are no reported injuries or suspensions in the AEK camp. No distractions, no forced reshuffles. Just a confident squad rolling into a key European night.
LASK arrive with a comeback fresh in the memory
Across the halfway line, LASK bring their own momentum.
They have also won four of their last five, but their recent run carries a different kind of edge. Beaten 3-0 by Celtic in the first leg of their Champions League qualifier, they roared back with a 5-1 victory in the return fixture, flipping the tie and sending a clear message about their resilience and attacking threat.
Across those five games, LASK have scored 15 and conceded five, numbers that hint at a more open, front-foot approach. Domestic form backs that up: a 3-0 win over Altach and a 1-3 away victory at Wolfsberger AC in the Austrian Bundesliga underline a team comfortable imposing itself home or away.
Dietmar Kuehbauer is set to trust the core that has carried this surge. Lukas Jungwirth is expected to start in goal, with Melayro Bogarde and Sascha Horvath driving the midfield. Moses Usor leads the line, the focal point of their attack. Like AEK, LASK currently report no injury or suspension issues, though late updates remain possible as kick-off nears.
Both coaches, then, have the luxury every manager craves at this stage of the season: strong form, full squads, and selection based on tactics rather than necessity.
First meeting, high stakes
There is no head-to-head history to lean on here. No old grudges, no familiar patterns. This appears to be the first meeting between AEK Athens and LASK at this level, which adds a layer of intrigue. Two teams in form, but unfamiliar with each other in competitive play, often produces a fascinating opening spell as each side probes for weaknesses.
What is clear is the context. Both clubs sit first in their Champions League standings, and that raises the stakes immediately. An early win does not just bring three points; it shapes the narrative of the group, dictates pressure, and can tilt the psychology of the campaign.
AEK come in as a side barely conceding and scoring freely. LASK arrive as comeback specialists with a taste for big European nights.
Something has to give.
