- 1 AEK Athens vs LASK: two unbeaten sides, one shared defensive strength
- 2 AEK Athens: a 20 million summer and a locked-down defence
- 3 LASK: five wins from five, and the machine keeps rolling
- 4 Champions League prediction AEK Athens vs LASK
- 5 First, a word on our free predictions
- 6 No commitment from us
- 7 Information changes fast
- 8 Your role
- 9 Responsible gambling first
- 10 Legal age
- 11 About the images…
AEK Athens vs LASK: two unbeaten sides, one shared defensive strength 
AEK Athens have played two Champions League qualifiers without conceding a goal. LASK, meanwhile, have shipped just two in five rounds of the Austrian Bundesliga.
Those defensive numbers set the tone for the tie that opens the league phase at the Agia Sophia Stadium on Tuesday, September 8. Kick-off is at 19:45 local time, or 18:45 in France.
AEK are back in the Champions League after seeing off their play-off opponents 4-0 on aggregate, sealing the job with a comfortable second-leg win in front of 30,500 fans on August 26. Thomas Strakosha kept clean sheets across both legs.
That run through qualifying was built on a settled starting XI, even though six summer signings were still trying to find their feet. The Champions League has arrived at the right time for the capital club.
LASK come in with five games, five wins in the Austrian Bundesliga, 15 goals scored and only two conceded. The Linz side sit near the top of the table heading into the trip.
But the schedule has been kind. None of the five opponents they’ve faced since the restart are in European competition this season, so the numbers need a bit of context.
There is also a contract twist to this one. Robert Ljubicic, loaned from AEK to LASK on July 22, 2026 with a purchase option, goes up against his parent club on the opening day.
So both sides arrive without a defeat since the restart, which is rare at this level. This one may be decided more by squad depth than by form.
AEK Athens: a 20 million summer and a locked-down defence 
The numbers speak for themselves: four goals scored, none conceded across the two European qualifiers. Marko Nikolic has built AEK’s start on that defensive base.
They’ve carried that same rhythm into the league. Ten goals scored and just one conceded in their first three Super League matches. A home 4-0 win kicked things off, then came a draw away from home, before they battered Aris 5-0 on matchday three on September 5.
The club spent heavily this summer to move up a level. Lovro Majer arrived from Wolfsburg for 6 million euros on July 29, 2026, while Kaan Kairinen joined from Sparta Prague for 4 million on July 7.
Oleksandr Zubkov, signed from Trabzonspor on June 3, 2026 for 4 million, and Kervin Arriaga, prised away from Levante on August 17 for 3 million, complete a rebuild funded by the sale of Orbelin Pineda to Monterrey for 8 million.
Up front, the goals are already flowing. Luka Jovic and Barnabas Varga have four each in all competitions, with Varga netting both of his European goals in qualifying.
The only blemish this season is the Greek Super Cup, lost to OFI on August 12, 2026 after a 2-2 draw and a 5-4 penalty shootout defeat. Since then, AEK have not looked back.
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LASK: five wins from five, and the machine keeps rolling 
LASK have taken 15 points from 15 available across five rounds of the Austrian Bundesliga. They have been in control of their league since the restart.
The attacking output matches the results: 15 goals in five games, an average of three per match. That puts the Linz club among the most productive sides in Austria.
The work at the back is even more eye-catching. Just two goals conceded across those five matches, with two wins at home and three away.
Those away wins – including 2-0 against Austria Vienna in round two, 4-1 at Ried in round three and 3-1 at Wolfsberg in round four – are the key reference points before the trip to Athens. LASK have shown they can get it done on the road.
Robert Ljubicic, on loan from AEK since July 22, 2026, knows the opposition well. His deal runs until June 30, 2027 and includes a purchase option for the Austrian club.
The gap in quality is still real. The Austrians have not faced an opponent of AEK’s calibre since the restart, and the Agia Sophia Stadium will be a different kind of examination.
Probable AEK Athens line-up: Not available at time of publication.
Probable LASK line-up: Not available at time of publication.
Champions League prediction AEK Athens vs LASK
Our prediction: AEK Athens win
Four goals scored and none conceded in qualifying, then a 5-0 demolition of Aris in the league on September 5: AEK have passed their first proper tests of the season in style, and they will do it with the same group on Tuesday.
LASK arrive with a perfect record in the Austrian Bundesliga – five wins from five – but those points have come against domestic opposition, nothing like the squad AEK have rebuilt with millions this summer in Athens.
AEK win this one. The balance on the pitch, the spending gap and the Greek side’s defensive record over the past month all point the same way.
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