Champions League
AEK’s two big plus points compared to 2018 heading into the Champions League groups
Learning from their potential rivals for the first step to the stars, AEK are now challenged to be properly prepared in the battle for their first goal, which is to qualify for the Champions League groups. With that, AEK has achieved what it achieved five years ago, but has two main weapons in its quiver that it didn’t have back then.
The time is fast approaching for AEK to get back into action as today (24/02) they learned the first step they have to climb to enter the golden groups of the Champions League and thus experience glorious European nights in New Philadelphia, just like in “Nikos Goumas”.
The path will very likely be similar to 2018 when AEK had to overcome Celtic’s hurdle in the third qualifying round and then as a strong force had to knock out Vidy in the playoffs.
The same will happen this year when they face Dinamo Zagreb, because if the Croatians overcome the Astana hurdle, Union will enter the playoff draw just as strong with the Zagreb team’s coefficient.
However, today, compared to the corresponding summer of 2018 (in which of course it achieved its goal), AEK has two very noticeable differences that make it optimistic about its European course, whose data will include the group stage, in the worst case the Conference League.
AEK’s two guns compared to 2018
This year’s AEK builds on the foundations and football principles of last year, thanks to which it won all national titles. Matias Almeida changed the team for the better in the competition, the club itself changed for the better too and we’ve seen the results that we’ve seen in a historic season in New Philadelphia. At the same time, the Argentine coach has the keys and the last word on transfers. The strangest example of all is the case of Pinedas.
Thanks to him, the Mexican came to our camp on loan so he could improve and of course go to Qatar with his national team, which eventually happened. A summer later, Pineda became the club’s most expensive transfer thanks to Matias Almeida.
In the summer of 2018, and after winning the championship after 24 years, the story wasn’t quite the same as this year. The creator of this team, Manolo Jimenez, who led Union unbeaten with the league to the Europa League round of 32, left the helm of the team and with him some of the team’s pioneers (Christodoulopoulos, Vranies, Johansson).
From last year’s roster so far only Giorgos Tzavellas and Alexander Franson have left, ie units that completed the roster (especially the Swede) and were not among the first choices of the Argentine coach, with the result that AEK enters this process homogeneously, maintaining all the key elements that led to last season’s titles being won.
The intention is not to make a concession to anyone as Levi Garcia features in this article because there have been offers for a concession for him. Dimitris Melissanidis wants to keep him, even offering him a new contract with significantly higher wages compared to what he was getting until recently. It remains to be seen whether the Union’s top scorer will remain in New Philadelphia in the new season.
The second big difference AEK has compared to five years ago is their stadium as it has returned to New Philadelphia and has its own home. Last season Almeida and the players got an extra boost to achieve their goals and prevail as the crowd was big enough for the new stadium.
The OAKA was much more spacious and although the presence of the crowd was noticeable during the game against Celtic and Vidy, the atmosphere has nothing to do with the atmosphere you will meet in the OPAP Arena. People have already booked their seats for the new season and are expected to attend these games with a big ‘attendance storm’ as well.
It remains to be seen if he will achieve what he achieved five years ago with these weapons.
Source: Sport 24
Ruth Waterhouse is an author and sports journalist who writes for Sportish. She is known for her coverage of various sports events and her insightful analysis of sports-related news. With a passion for sports and a keen eye for detail, she has become a respected voice in the sports community.
Real Madrid’s French forward Kylian Mbappe He became the top scorer of the Champions League in 2025.
The 27-year-old striker has 14 goals.
Inter’s Lautaro Martinez is in second place with 12 goals.
Third place in the summary rankings for 2025 was taken by Bayern’s Harry Kane (scored 11 goals).
Champions League’s top scorers in 2025
- 14 – Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid)
- 12 – Lautaro Martinez (Inter)
- 11-Harry Kane (Bayern)
- 10 – Serou Guirassi (Borussia)
- 9-Ousmane Dembele (PSG)
- 9 – Erling Haaland (Manchester City)
- 9 – Victor Osimhen (Galatasaray)
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Source: Sport UA
I am a sports journalist who has written for a number of Sportish. I have a background in journalism and have been writing since I was young. My main focus is sports news, but I also write about general news. I am currently working as an author at Sportish.
Former coach of Dynamo Kiev Alexander Showkovsky He should have been sacked in August after a poor performance in the Champions League qualifiers.
The blue-whites, who lost twice to Cypriot Paphos in the 3rd round of the European Cup (0:1 and 0:2), were relegated to the Europa League and then promoted to the Conference League.
“I know that Dinamo management believes that a change of coach could and should be made in the summer, after they lost to Paphos in the Champions League qualifiers.
Then an opportunity arose. But the necessary candidate was not available,” the source said.
Due to the lack of alternatives, the president of the Kiev club decided to leave Shovkovsky as head coach, but in November the Ukrainian specialist was nevertheless fired and left Dynamo.
Source: Sport UA
I am a sports journalist who has written for a number of Sportish. I have a background in journalism and have been writing since I was young. My main focus is sports news, but I also write about general news. I am currently working as an author at Sportish.
We continue to examine the future of Donetsk shakhtar To buy tickets directly to the main stage Champions League 2026/27.
This will be possible if the place reserved for the team that wins the Champions League trophy is redistributed.
All important moments of the match are available in LIVE mode Telegram Sport.ua
Donetsk Miner They are in fourth place with a coefficient of 50.250 among the clubs competing for a possible position at the heart of the Champions League.
In the last European week, the Donetsk club added +2.625 points. This increase was achieved with a 0-0 draw with Croatian Rijeka in the 6th round of the Conference League and a sixth place in the main round final table.
Main rival Greek Olympiacos – 56,500 points remaining. The Miners can regain the 6,250-point lead if they perform well in the spring part of the European Cups.
It is interesting that Shakhtar lost the first place in the UPL (Cherkasy has the same number of points as LNZ – 35 points each), and Olympiacos lost the lead in Greece to the AEK team (36 points against 37). Ukrainian striker Roman Yaremchuk plays for the team of the city of Piraeus.
Positions rangers (59,250), 4th in Scotland and Copenhagen (53.375), placed 5th in Denmark, looks less competitive in the rankings due to its position in the national championships. Leader only in championships Dinamo Zagreb And RB Salzburg (44,000 each) but there is no certainty that the turn will come.
Let us remind you that if the cup holder buys a ticket to the Champions League through the national championship, there will be a vacancy in the main squad in the 2026/27 Champions League. In this case, a balance will arise again and if Shakhtar wins the UPL and is ahead of Olympiacos in the UEFA club rankings (or the Greek club does not become the champion of Greece), it can get a direct ticket to the base of the Champions League.
If the Piraeus team is higher in the rankings and takes advantage of the available space, the Donetsk club will start from the 4th quarter of the Champions League, not the 2nd quarter, in case they win in the UPL.
Candidates for direct tickets to the Champions League 2026/27 main stage
(In case the quota reserved for the Champions League champion becomes vacant)
UEFA Club Rankings 2026
infographics
Source: Sport UA
I am a sports journalist who has written for a number of Sportish. I have a background in journalism and have been writing since I was young. My main focus is sports news, but I also write about general news. I am currently working as an author at Sportish.
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