AEK vs LASK Linz Prediction: Champions League 2026/27

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Athens Opens Its Champions League Account

PAE AEK meet LASK Linz in the league phase of the ²⁰²⁶⁄₂₇ Champions League, one of eighteen Matchday 1 fixtures and one of the two earliest kickoffs on the day. For both clubs this is the first of eight league phase games, and the points on offer here matter more than any single result later: in a 36 team table, a Matchday 1 win against a comparable opponent is the cheapest three points either side will see.

The State of PAE AEK

AEK arrive without a completed competitive fixture in the current season to judge, so form is not the story. The squad is.

The backbone is experience. Thomas Strakosha has spent his career in top level European football and gives AEK a goalkeeper who is comfortable behind a high line and dealing with crosses into a busy box. In front of him, Domagoj Vida remains the organiser: a defender who talks, steps out to meet a runner, and holds a back line together in the moments when the crowd at an Athens night gets loud and the shape wants to drift. Harold Moukoudi brings the physical side, strong in duels and quick enough to cover in behind. Filipe Relvas and Martin Georgiev add depth to a defensive group that AEK will want to keep compact.

The full back positions are where AEK’s shape becomes interesting. James Penrice, Stavros Pilios and Llazaros Rota are all comfortable pushing high, which lets the wide attackers come inside rather than hug the touchline.

In midfield, Razvan Marin is the tempo setter. He takes the ball under pressure, plays forward early, and carries a set piece threat that matters in a game likely to be tight. Petros Mantalos is the club’s long serving link man, the player who finds the pocket between an opponent’s midfield and defence. Mijat Gacinovic offers movement between the lines and can operate wide or centrally.

The most obvious source of goals from open play is Niclas Eliasson. His game is delivery: he is a left footed wide player who lives on repeatable crossing volume from the right, and if AEK get sustained territory, the ball will keep arriving in the box from him. That is a plan LASK will have to plan around specifically.

The State of LASK Linz

Dietmar Kuhbauer takes LASK into this one. Like the hosts, there is no completed fixture in the current season to read, so the reasonable expectation is what a Kuhbauer side normally looks like: aggressive out of possession, direct in transition, disciplined in shape, and unwilling to be pinned in for ninety minutes.

Tobias Schutzenauer and Lukas Jungwirth compete for the gloves. The back line has an unusually international look for an Austrian side. Xavier Mbuyamba is the size and duel winning presence in the middle, George Bello gives real pace at left back and can carry the ball forward on the counter, and Fabian Schillinger and Miguel Freckleton add cover across the back. Ivan Dibango and Kasper Molgaard Jorgensen are part of a young spine LASK have built around.

Andres Andrade is the creative reference point, a left footed attacking midfielder who drifts and picks passes rather than running channels. Alessandro Schopf is the most experienced head in the squad, a former Bundesliga and international midfielder who understands exactly how to control the middle of a European away game and slow it down when needed. Sascha Horvath adds ball retention, Florian Flecker gives width and a direct running threat, and Cheikne Kebe and Manoel Verhaeghe offer legs in the press. Alemao gives them a physical option further forward.

LASK’s route to a result is fairly clear: keep the game at zero for an hour, deny Eliasson clean crossing angles by doubling that side, and use Bello and Flecker to attack the space AEK’s advanced full backs leave behind.

Head-to-Head

These two clubs have no meaningful shared history at this level. AEK’s European record is long and largely Greek league qualification based; LASK’s continental profile has been built recently, through Europa League and Conference League campaigns rather than repeated Champions League appearances. With no established head to head to lean on, both coaching staffs are working largely from scouting rather than memory, which usually favours the side with the simpler, better rehearsed plan.

👀 What to Watch

The right side of AEK’s attack against George Bello. Eliasson wants to receive facing the goal and swing early balls in; Bello’s pace means he can afford to defend a little deeper and still recover, but if LASK’s midfield does not tuck across to help, that duel repeats forty times.

The other one is the midfield control question: Marin and Mantalos against Schopf and Horvath. AEK want short, quick combinations to break a compact block. Schopf’s job is to make sure those passes are made backwards, not forwards. Whoever wins that argument decides whether this is a 1-0 or a 3-0.

🔮 Prediction

Home advantage in Athens is real, and AEK have the more senior spine, with Vida, Marin and Mantalos all used to games of this weight. LASK are well organised and will make it uncomfortable for a long stretch, but a season opener at home against a side that has to travel and defend usually breaks the hosts’ way late.

Prediction: PAE AEK 2-1 LASK Linz

Practical Info

Kickoff is 17:45 BST (Tue 8 Sep) / 12:45 PM EDT (Tue 8 Sep) / 18:45 CEST (Tue 8 Sep). The venue has not been confirmed. Where to watch: BBC One & TNT Sports (UK) / CBS & Paramount+ (US) / Canal+ (France) / Sky Sport (Italy) / DAZN (Germany) / Prima Sport & Digi Sport (Romania)

FAQ

What time is PAE AEK vs LASK Linz?

Kickoff is 17:45 BST (Tue 8 Sep) / 12:45 PM EDT (Tue 8 Sep) / 18:45 CEST (Tue 8 Sep), which is 16:45 UTC on Tuesday 8 September 2026.

What is the predicted score for PAE AEK vs LASK Linz?

PAE AEK 2-1 LASK Linz. The hosts have the more experienced spine in Vida, Marin and Mantalos, and home advantage in Athens should tell late against a well drilled but travelling LASK side.

Where is PAE AEK vs LASK Linz being played?

The venue for this Matchday 1 fixture has not been confirmed yet.

How can I watch PAE AEK vs LASK Linz on TV?

BBC One & TNT Sports (UK) / CBS & Paramount+ (US) / Canal+ (France) / Sky Sport (Italy) / DAZN (Germany) / Prima Sport & Digi Sport (Romania)

Who is the LASK Linz manager for the Champions League match against PAE AEK?

Dietmar Kuhbauer is in charge of LASK Linz for this fixture.