AEK Athens vs LASK: Early-Season Clash of In-Form Teams
Two sides in full flow meet on 8 Sept 2026 at 17:45, as AEK Athens host LASK in a Champions League clash that already feels like a barometer for their campaigns. Both sit top of their respective groups, both arrive with goals in their boots, and neither has much time for caution.
This is not a meeting of giants with a long, tangled history. In fact, there is no head-to-head record at this level between AEK and LASK. That only sharpens the edge. No scars, no baggage – just two in-form teams trying to land the first punch.
AEK’s ruthless rhythm
Marko Nikolic has AEK purring. Four wins and a draw from their last five in all competitions, 16 goals scored, just one conceded. Those are title-contender numbers, not a side still feeling its way into the season.
Their most recent outing underlined the mood. A 5-0 demolition of Aris Thessaloniki in the Super League, another step in a three-game winning surge that also includes a 4-0 dismantling of Iraklis earlier in August. AEK are not edging games; they are blowing them open.
Nikolic is expected to go strong again. Thomas Strakosha anchors things in goal, a steady presence behind a side that likes to push on. In midfield, the core of Razvan Marin, Lovro Majer, and Kaan Kairinen gives AEK both control and incision – a blend of passing range, pressing energy, and creativity between the lines.
Up front, Luka Jovic and Barnabas Varga carry the scoring burden. With the team in this kind of form and no injuries or suspensions reported, Nikolic has the luxury every coach craves: a settled, confident XI with no obvious weak link.
LASK’s comeback credentials
LASK arrive with their own swagger. Four wins from their last five, 15 goals scored and only five conceded in that run. The one blemish? A 3-0 defeat to Celtic in the first leg of their Champions League qualifier.
What followed said plenty about their character. LASK ripped up that deficit with a 5-1 win in the second leg, turning a bruising first chapter into a statement of intent. That tie alone tells you this is not a side that folds when the pressure rises.
Domestic form backs that up. A 3-0 win over Altach and a 1-3 victory away at Wolfsberger AC in the Austrian Bundesliga underline their attacking threat and their comfort on the road.
Dietmar Kuehbauer is expected to stick with a proactive setup. Lukas Jungwirth takes his place in goal, with Melayro Bogarde and Sascha Horvath tasked with driving the midfield – snapping into duels, breaking lines, and linking quickly with the front. Moses Usor leads the attack, a focal point for a team that likes to move the ball forward with purpose.
Like AEK, LASK report no injury or suspension concerns at this stage. For a coach who thrives on intensity, that clean bill of health is gold dust.
Clash of equals at the top
The table adds another layer. Both AEK Athens and LASK currently sit first in the Champions League standings, which gives this fixture extra bite. Early it may be, but these are the kind of nights that shape a group: win, and you seize control; slip, and the door swings open for everyone else.
There is no shared past to draw on, no familiar script. Just two teams in sharp form, both used to winning, both scoring freely, both largely untroubled at the back.
One question hangs over Athens: when two sides this confident finally collide, who blinks first?
