AEK Athens vs LASK: Early Champions League Clash

Two sides in full stride meet on 8 September 2026 at 17:45, as AEK Athens host LASK in a Champions League clash that already feels like a marker for the rest of their campaigns. Both sit top of their respective groups, both arrive with goals in their boots, and neither has any interest in blinking first.

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; the goal difference fills in the rest. Sixteen scored, just one conceded. Those are title-contender numbers, not a team still supposedly finding its rhythm in early autumn.

Their last outing underlined the mood. A ruthless 5-0 dismantling of Aris Thessaloniki in the Super League, added to a 4-0 win over Iraklis earlier in August, has turned AEK’s recent fixture list into a highlight reel. Three straight victories, all with authority, suggest a side that has found both balance and bite.

Nikolic is expected to go strong again. Thomas Strakosha anchors the defence from goal, while the midfield has a clear spine: Razvan Marin dictating tempo, Lovro Majer threading passes between the lines, and Kaan Kairinen providing the legs and aggression around them. Up front, Luka Jovic and Barnabas Varga offer a mix of penalty-box instincts and physical presence that suits a team intent on pinning opponents back.

There are no reported injuries or suspensions in the AEK camp. No excuses. No reason to rotate lightly. Not on a night like this.

LASK arrive with a statement of their own

If AEK’s numbers impress, LASK’s recent run stands up to scrutiny as well. Four wins from their last five, 15 goals scored and five conceded. This is not a side turning up to defend and hope.

Their most eye-catching feat came in Europe. Beaten 3-0 by Celtic in the first leg of their Champions League qualifier, Dietmar Kühbauer’s team responded with a thunderous 5-1 victory in the return match, flipping the tie on its head and sending a clear message: underestimate them at your peril.

Domestic form backs that up. A controlled 3-0 win over Altach and a 3-1 success away at Wolfsberger AC in the Austrian Bundesliga show LASK can handle both the responsibility of favourites and the chaos of away days.

Kühbauer is set to trust the core that brought them here. Lukas Jungwirth starts in goal, with Melayro Bogarde and Sascha Horvath tasked with driving the midfield, pressing, harrying, and springing transitions. Moses Usor leads the line, the focal point for quick breaks and direct attacks. Like AEK, LASK report no injury or suspension concerns at this stage, giving the coach a full deck to play with.

A first meeting with real weight

There is no head-to-head history to lean on. No old grudges, no scars, no reference points. This appears to be the first meeting between AEK Athens and LASK at this level, which only adds to the intrigue. Two form teams, two confident dressing rooms, and a blank slate.

Both clubs currently sit first in the Champions League standings, which sharpens the edge of this early fixture. Points here do more than shape the group table; they influence belief. Win, and you don’t just stay top – you start to look and feel like a side built for a long European run.

With neither camp carrying notable absences, the stage is set for a straight, honest contest between full-strength line-ups. No caveats. No asterisks. Just one question: which of these in-form leaders will still look like the team to beat when the final whistle goes in Athens?