AEK Athens vs LASK: High-Stakes Champions League Clash
AEK Athens and LASK meet for the first time on 8 Sept 2026, with kick-off at 17:45, in a tie that already carries weight for their Champions League campaigns. Both sides sit top of their respective groups, both arrive in form, and neither has much interest in easing into Europe gently.
This isn’t a slow burn. It’s a collision between two teams used to winning.
AEK flying, LASK fearless
AEK Athens come into the game purring. Four wins and a draw from their last five in all competitions, 16 goals scored and just one conceded. The numbers tell you they’re in control; the performances suggest they’re enjoying it.
Their most recent outing, a 5-0 demolition of Aris Thessaloniki in the Super League, underlined the mood around the club. Earlier in August, they swept aside Iraklis 4-0. Three straight victories, three statement wins. Marko Nikolic has a side that presses with confidence and finishes with conviction.
LASK’s form is just as eye-catching, but with a different flavour. They’ve also won four of their last five, and their only blemish came in the first leg of a Champions League qualifier against Celtic, a 3-0 defeat that would have broken a lesser group. Instead, they tore up the script, thumping the Scottish side 5-1 in the return leg to flip the tie on its head.
Across their last five, LASK have scored 15 and conceded five, including a 3-0 win over Altach and a 3-1 victory away to Wolfsberger AC in the Austrian Bundesliga. This is a team that responds to setbacks with aggression, not caution.
Team news: two strong XIs, no excuses
Nikolic is expected to go full strength. Thomas Strakosha should start in goal, with the midfield built around Razvan Marin, Lovro Majer and Kaan Kairinen. That trio offers control, craft and a steady supply line to the forwards.
Up front, Luka Jovic and Barnabas Varga are set to lead the line. On this form, AEK don’t just look solid; they look ruthless. With no injuries or suspensions reported for the home side, Nikolic has the luxury every coach craves: a clear week, a clear squad, and a clear plan.
LASK mirror that readiness. Dietmar Kühbauer is expected to hand the gloves to Lukas Jungwirth, while Melayro Bogarde and Sascha Horvath bring energy and bite to midfield. Moses Usor will spearhead the attack, tasked with unsettling an AEK defence that has barely been touched in recent weeks.
The Austrian side also report no injury or suspension concerns at this stage. Both coaches, then, can pick on merit, not necessity. No caveats. No alibis.
A first meeting with real edge
There is no head-to-head history to lean on here. No old grudges, no familiar patterns, no previous chapters to revisit. This appears to be the first competitive meeting between AEK Athens and LASK at this level, which gives the contest a raw edge: both sides are learning each other on the fly, both trying to impose their own rhythm first.
That lack of shared past doesn’t blunt the stakes. With both clubs currently sitting first in the Champions League standings, this early fixture could shape the path of the group. Drop points here and the margin for error shrinks fast. Win, and the campaign suddenly opens up.
The form suggests goals. The squads suggest quality. The table suggests tension.
Now it comes down to which in-form side handles the pressure of a new European rival better — the Greek champions in full flow, or the Austrian contenders who have already shown they can come back from the brink.
