Antwerp vs AEK Athens Prediction and Betting Tips | 22nd August 2023

Antwerp will play host to AEK Athens at Bosuilstadion in the UEFA Champions League play-off round on Tuesday.

Antwerp vs AEK Athens Preview

Royal Antwerp are making a return 65 years after their first and only appearance in the European flagship competition. They won the Belgian Pro League last season to earn direct qualification for the Champions League play-off round. Antwerp and AEK Athens are meeting for the first time in an official match.

The Great Old kicked off their new domestic season with a 1-0 win over Cercle Brugge in late July. They have played three league games since then, winning once, drawing once, and losing once to claim the fifth spot in the standings. Antwerp have been regular competitors in Europe though, reaching the playoffs of the UEFA Europa Conference League last season.

AEK Athens edged Croatian side Dinamo Zagreb 4-3 in the third qualifying round to reach the playoffs. The visitors last played in the Champions League in 2018–19 when they crashed out in the group stage. They failed to qualify for Europe last season but in 2021-22 they took part in the Europa Conference League.

Dikefalos Aetos are yet to open their campaign in the new Greek Super League season which began on August 18. However, they played several friendly matches in the off-season, winning four out of five. AEK will head into Tuesday’s meeting on the back of five straight victories in all competitions.

Dutch striker Vincent Janssen is set to lead Antwerp once again in the new term. Last season he finished as the team’s top scorer with 18 goals. French goalkeeper Jean Butez contributed inmensely to Antwerp’s success with 20 clean sheets, finishing as the league’s best keeper by that measurement.

AEK have been able to hold on