On Wednesday, AEK Athens will host Levski Sofia at AEK Arena for the second leg of their playoff tie, with a spot in this season's Champions League group stage on the line. In the first leg, Luka Jovic's half-volley hit the crossbar, and AEK could not score, resulting in a stalemate in Sofia. Marko Nikolic's team returns home determined to secure a victory against a Levski side that has remained unbeaten in 19 matches leading up to this clash. AEK's pre-season and their initial competitive match had been high-scoring affairs until they faced the formidable Levski defense last week. Before the match in Bulgaria, AEK had scored two or more goals in five of their last six games across all competitions, but they struggled to find the net against Svetoslav Vutsov, despite coming close on several occasions. Statistically, the Greek champions created more clear-cut chances during the first leg, which may provide some hope for Nikolic, who expressed disappointment over not securing a narrow victory ahead of the return match. Despite the setback, the Serbian coach is optimistic as AEK aims to return to the Champions League group stage for the first time since the 2018-19 season. Three years ago, AEK narrowly missed out on qualification, losing to Antwerp in the playoff round, and they hope to succeed where their recent predecessors fell short after an eight-year absence from Europe's elite competition. Levski fans may be concerned as their team has a poor record against Greek opposition, with a winless streak of three matches, including two losses and a draw, which could hinder their chances in this upcoming encounter.