AEK Athens secures seeded status in Champions League playoffs

The landscape for the upcoming UEFA Champions League playoffs is taking shape following the second qualifying round matches. A crucial development for AEK Athens occurred when Aarhus AGF achieved a remarkable comeback against Lech Poznan, overturning a 4-1 first-leg deficit to win via a penalty shootout. This result effectively moved the Greek champions from the unseeded to the seeded group, significantly improving their prospects for the next stage of the tournament as they aim for their first Champions League appearance since the 2018-19 season.

The official draw for the playoffs is scheduled for August 3, 2026, at 13:00 in Nyon. As a seeded team, AEK will face one of the unseeded opponents, which include the winners of the Celje-Ararat, Kairat-Levski, and Aarhus-Sabah ties, or either LASK Linz or Viking. The playoff first legs are set for August 18-19, with the return matches following on August 25-26. Qualification at this stage would guarantee AEK a spot in the competition's new League Phase format.