AEK Athens marked their return to the UEFA Champions League with a 1-0 victory over Austrian champions LASK at the Allwyn Arena on Tuesday, September 8.
Răzvan Marin scored the only goal of the league-phase opener with a superb free kick in the 21st minute, giving AEK their first victory in the Champions League proper in nearly 20 years. UEFA also named the Romanian midfielder Player of the Match.
The result added two points to AEK’s five-year club coefficient, lifting their total from 28.500 to 30.500. The Greek champions consequently rose two places in UEFA’s club ranking, from 68th to 66th.
Marin Free Kick Gives AEK the Perfect Start
AEK started aggressively in front of a packed home crowd in Nea Filadelfia. Luka Jović had the first clear opportunity after only three minutes, but LASK goalkeeper Lukas Jungwirth denied the Serbian striker.
The breakthrough arrived in the 21st minute after Aboubakary Koita won a free kick near the edge of the penalty area. Marin stepped forward and curled an unstoppable shot into the upper corner, leaving Jungwirth with little chance.
AEK controlled much of the first half and should have doubled their advantage before the interval. Barnabás Varga intercepted a defensive mistake but delayed his shot, while the Hungarian later sent a diving header wide after being left unmarked at the far post.
LASK improved after halftime and nearly equalized in the 49th minute. Sascha Horvath entered the penalty area from the left, but AEK goalkeeper Alberto Brignoli made a crucial save.
AEK thought they had scored a second goal in the 65th minute when Jović headed Lovro Majer’s delivery into the net. The goal was disallowed, however, because Majer had been offside earlier in the move.
Marko Nikolić’s side created further chances through Zini and Koita but could not put the game beyond LASK. The Austrian visitors almost punished those missed opportunities in stoppage time, when Saša Kalajdžić headed narrowly over the crossbar.
AEK finished with 18 attempts and seven corners, compared with LASK’s 11 shots and three corners, underlining the Greek side’s overall advantage despite the narrow scoreline.
The victory was particularly significant because it was AEK’s first in the main stage of the Champions League since the 2006-07 season. It also brought Europe’s premier club competition back to the club’s historic neighborhood of Nea Filadelfia for the first time in 24 years. LASK, meanwhile, were making their debut at this stage of the tournament.
AEK Rise to 66th in UEFA Club Ranking
AEK entered the 2026-27 European season with a five-year coefficient of 22.500 points. Qualification for the Champions League league phase guaranteed the club at least another six points, raising the total to 28.500 before the match against LASK.
Tuesday’s victory was worth an additional two coefficient points, taking AEK to 30.500 and moving the club into 66th place.
Under UEFA’s coefficient system, a Champions League victory from the league phase onward is worth two points, while a draw provides one.
Every team finishing between 25th and 36th in the 36-club league phase receives a minimum bonus of six coefficient points. The bonus increases by 0.250 points for every position above 25th, reaching 12 points for the team finishing first.
A stronger coefficient could improve AEK’s seeding in future European draws and reduce the possibility of facing highly ranked opponents during qualifying rounds.
Victory Also Brings Major Financial Reward
AEK had already secured a participation payment of €18.62 million by reaching the league phase. The win against LASK added a further €2.1 million in performance-related prize money.
AEK’s next Champions League match will be against Shakhtar Donetsk on October 14. Nikolić’s team will then face Manchester City away on October 20 before welcoming Real Madrid to Athens on November 4.
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