Harold Moukoudi set to start for AEK Athens against LASK in Champions League

Harold Moukoudi is expected to start for AEK Athens against LASK on Tuesday evening as the Greek club begin their 2026-27 UEFA Champions League league phase campaign.

The Cameroon international is forecast to feature at centre-back, where he is likely to partner Filipe Relvas. Thomas Strakosha is expected to be selected in goal, while Lazaros Rota and Pilios are also tipped to start in the defensive line.

Moukoudi’s anticipated inclusion would place him at the heart of an AEK Athens side preparing for its opening fixture in the league phase of this season’s competition. The defender is expected to be one of the key figures in the team’s attempt to deal with LASK’s attacking threat.

In midfield, Luka Majer, Petros Mantalos, Zini and Mijat Gacinovic are among those considered likely to be named in the starting line-up. The selection suggests AEK Athens could rely on a mixture of experience and creativity in the centre of the pitch for their first European match of the campaign.

Luka Jovic is expected to lead the attack. However, one further attacking position remains open and could still change depending on the final decisions made by the coaching staff before kick-off.

The probable AEK Athens line-up is:

Thomas Strakosha; Lazaros Rota, Harold Moukoudi, Filipe Relvas, Pilios; Luka Majer, Petros Mantalos, Zini, Mijat Gacinovic; Luka Jovic, Barnabas Varga.

That provisional team places Moukoudi alongside Relvas in central defence, with Rota and Pilios positioned on either side of them. Strakosha is expected to provide the final line of defence behind the back four.

LASK are also expected to retain a number of their regular first-team players. Tobias Lawal is forecast to start in goal for the Austrian side, while the club are likely to rely on their usual established options in defence and midfield.

Robert Zulj is among the principal attacking candidates for LASK and is expected to be one of the visitors’ main forward threats. AEK Athens will therefore face a side expected to field familiar players across the pitch, despite the possibility of late changes to the final line-up.

Moukoudi’s expected start is the main selection development ahead of the match. The Cameroon defender is set to begin the European campaign as part of AEK Athens’ preferred central-defensive pairing, although the confirmed teams will only be known when the clubs formally announce their line-ups.