Kühbauer beams: "Real is an incredible story"

LASK has landed a big draw in the UEFA Champions League.

Austria's double winner will face Real Madrid and Liverpool in the league phase of the Champions League.

Further opponents for the Linzers' Champions League debut under coach Dietmar Kühbauer are FC Porto, Sporting Lisbon, Fenerbahce, Bodö/Glimt, Slovan Bratislava, and AEK Athens.

This was the result of the draw on Thursday in Monaco. The league phase starts on September 8th, with UEFA publishing the exact match dates by Saturday.

Reunion with Liverpool

From the first pot, LASK drew the Spanish record champions with coach Jose Mourinho, and the Linzers will play at the Bernabeu in Madrid. "Real Madrid is an incredible story for all of us. That will be a tough match," Kühbauer told ORF.

Additionally, there will be a reunion with Liverpool at home. Three years ago, there were two defeats (1:3, 0:4) against the "Reds" in the Europa League group stage.

"Liverpool is actually my club, which I have always admired. The fact that we can play at home will certainly be a highlight," emphasized the LASK coach.

The second pot for Kühbauer's squad was Portuguese, with champions Porto (home) and runners-up Sporting (away) awaiting them. "We need top performances there. But it's not impossible that we might get something there."

Home match against Fenerbahce

Additionally, there will be a highlight home match against Fenerbahce; the Turkish top club had eliminated vice-champions Sturm in the 3rd qualifying round with an aggregate score of 3:0. They also have to play away against the Norwegian high-flyers Bodö/Glimt.

There are slightly better chances for points in Greece against AEK Athens, as well as in the home match against the Slovakian serial champions Slovan Bratislava.

"Bodö played fantastically last year. Fenerbahce is also an incredibly good draw for the spectators. That's why we are looking forward to the task," said Kühbauer.

24 Teams survive the league phase

36 clubs are represented in the league phase of the Champions League.

The twelve teams with the fewest points are eliminated. Teams placed 9th to 24th will compete in play-offs for a spot in the round of 16. The top eight bypass the start of the knockout phase and are automatically in the round of 16.

The final will take place on June 5, 2027, at the Estadio Metropolitano in Madrid.