LASK has drawn a demanding path for its debut in the Champions League league phase, landing matches against European heavyweights Real Madrid and Liverpool following Thursday’s draw in Monaco.
The Austrian club, guided by head coach Dietmar Kühbauer, learned its complete eight-match schedule for the elite European competition.
High-Profile Fixtures and Familiar Foes
The draw delivered immediate blockbuster fixtures for the Linz side. Out of the top seeding pot, LASK was paired with Real Madrid, setting up a marquee trip to the Spanish capital.
Liverpool’s visit to Austria evokes recent European history for LASK supporters. The two clubs met three years ago in the UEFA Europa League group stage, where the English side claimed two victories by scores of 1:3 and 0:4, records show.
Navigating the Portuguese and Turkish Tests
Pot two brought a distinctly Portuguese challenge for Kühbauer’s squad. LASK will host Portuguese champions FC Porto in Linz while making the return trip away to face league runners-up Sporting Lissabon.
Another focal point of the league phase schedule is a high-profile home fixture against Fenerbahce.
Chasing Points Across Europe
The fixture list includes away trips to Norwegian side Bodø/Glimt and Greek club AEK Athens, alongside a home encounter against Slovakian serial champions Slovan Bratislava.
The league phase of the competition features 36 clubs competing in a single large standings table. Under the tournament format, the twelve teams with the fewest points at the end of the league phase are eliminated. Clubs finishing in places 9 through 24 advance to a two-legged knockout play-off round for a chance to reach the round of 16. Meanwhile, the top eight finishers earn direct entry into the last 16, bypassing the preliminary knockout round.
UEFA is set to officially release the exact match dates and kickoff times for all fixtures by Saturday, with the league phase officially commencing on September 8.
Worth a look
