AEK Athens and LASK seek landmark Champions League victory

The UEFA Champions League returns to Athens on Tuesday, 8 September 2026, with AEK Athens hosting LASK at the AEK Arena in the opening round of the league phase.

The fixture marks a significant occasion for both clubs. AEK Athens are returning to European football’s premier competition for the first time in seven seasons, while LASK are appearing in the main phase of the Champions League for the first time in their history.

For the Greek side, this will be their sixth participation in the final phase of the competition. Their most recent campaign came in 2018-19, when they lost all six of their matches against Bayern Munich, Ajax and Benfica.

AEK Athens have won only two of their 30 matches played in the Champions League group or league phase. Both victories came during the 2006-07 season, when they beat Lille and AC Milan 1-0.

However, their current European form offers greater encouragement. AEK Athens secured their place in the league phase with a 4-0 victory over Levski Sofia in the second leg of their play-off, following a draw in the first meeting. They kept clean sheets in both matches.

The club have also lost only three of their past 19 European fixtures, recording 11 wins and five draws during that run.

LASK arrive in Athens after producing one of the most dramatic comebacks of the qualifying rounds. The Austrian club appeared to be heading out after suffering a 3-0 defeat by Celtic in the first leg of their play-off tie.

They overturned that deficit in the return match, winning 5-1 after extra time to reach the main stage of the Champions League for the first time. The result also ended an 11-match run without a victory in European competition.

Away form remains a concern for the Austrian champions, though. LASK have failed to win any of their past 11 European matches on the road, losing 10 and drawing one.

The clubs have never previously met, and LASK have also never faced a Greek team in European competition.

LASK will nevertheless bring strong domestic credentials to the contest after winning both the Austrian championship and the Austrian Cup last season. AEK Athens, meanwhile, can draw on home advantage and greater experience of major European nights.

Both teams begin the new league phase with the same immediate aim: to make an early impact and build momentum across the competition’s eight matchdays. For AEK Athens, the match represents a long-awaited return to the Champions League spotlight. For LASK, it is the first opportunity to establish themselves among Europe’s leading clubs.