The Athenians look stronger at the start of the Champions League campaign: AEK vs LASK prediction
The opening-round Champions League match between AEK and LASK will take place on 8 September at the OPAP Arena in Athens. Both teams came through qualifying, but they enter the league phase in very different circumstances: the Greeks are returning to the competition after almost a decade, while the Austrians are making their debut at this level.
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AEK: confident start and strong home form
Marko Nikolić's side beat Levski 4-0 on aggregate in the play-off round, keeping clean sheets in both legs. AEK are yet to lose in normal time in seven matches this season, have recorded four clean sheets and have scored at least twice in five games.
Ahead of their Champions League opener, the Athenians thrashed Aris 5-0. The attacking partnership of Barnabás Varga and Luka Jović looks particularly dangerous, with Varga having scored in four consecutive matches.
LASK: incredible comeback and prolific scoring form
LASK reached the league phase after a dramatic tie against Celtic. The Austrians lost the first leg 3-0 and then fell 1-0 behind in the return fixture, but managed to recover a four-goal aggregate deficit and snatch victory in extra time.
Dietmar Kühbauer's side have not slowed down since then, winning three consecutive matches while averaging four goals per game. Their recent victories came against Altach 3-0, Wolfsberger 3-1 and DSC 6-1.
Probable line-ups
- AEK: Strakosha, Rota, Moukoudi, Relvas, Pilios, Maier, Marin, Vitalis, Koita, Varga, Jović.
- LASK: Jungwirth, Mbuyamba, Törnich, Andrade, Jørgensen, Ljubičić, Bogarde, Horvath, Bello, Usor, Lang.
Match facts and head-to-head record
- AEK are unbeaten in normal time in all seven of their matches this season.
- The Greeks have kept four clean sheets during that period.
- LASK have scored 12 goals in their last three domestic matches.
Quality and home advantage should help the Greeks: AEK vs LASK prediction
LASK arrive in Athens on a huge emotional high and have already shown that they can create a large number of chances. However, playing in Athens will be a much tougher test, particularly against a team that have been extremely reliable defensively.
AEK hold the advantage in terms of experience, home atmosphere and attacking quality. If Varga and Jović maintain their current form, the hosts should be able to punish the newcomers' mistakes and begin the tournament with a victory.
