Cypriot Clubs Omonia and Pafos FC Gear Up for European Face-Off

The tie, the first ever all-Cypriot European football match, is currently finely balanced, with the two sides having played out a 1-1 draw in the first leg at Nicosia’s GSP Stadium last week.

Ahead of the match, Pafos FC manager Juan Carlos Carcedo stressed the importance of his club’s fans to give them the upper hand in their home-from-home in Limassol, where they play their European games.

“We need the people on our side to achieve a historic qualification. We have faced Omonia several times, and we know them as an opponent. We have to be focused to get a ticket to the next round. Omonia are a very good team and it is hard to impose your rhythm when you play against him,” he said at Wednesday’s press conference.

He added, “the key is for us to score first and we have to avoid mistakes, because in games like this, everything will play its role.

“In these games, the details will make the difference.”

Winger Mislav Orsic, who came off the bench to score a late equaliser in last week’s game, also called for Pafos FC’s fans to “be present and give us the necessary boost”.

Meanwhile, Omonia manager Jiannis Anastasiou promised that his side will put up a resolute defensive performance in Limassol.

“We know Pafos FC very well and we know what we will face. We will allow the opponent to have the ball in the areas where they cannot cause us problems, and we will press when the ball reaches a point that it is close to the area,” he said.

The winner of the tie will qualify for the round of 16, where they will face one of Swiss side Lugano or Swedish outfit Djurgardens. Round of 16 fixtures will be played on March 6 and March 13.

Meanwhile, in Nicosia, Apoel, Cyprus’ third remaining side in the Conference League, will face Slovenian champions Celje at the GSP Stadium.

However, they will have to do so without Georgian centre-half Lasha Dvali, who was sent off in last week’s 2-2 draw in northeastern Slovenia. Despite this, manager Manolo Jimenez was positive ahead of the game.

“In football, there are always problems, we always have to look for solutions, and we will find them. I am sure that despite the absences we are suffering from the last game, we will succeed. We have depth and great will,” he said.

If they win on Thursday, Apoel will face whichever of Lugano and Djurgardens the other Cypriot side does not play.

All three Cypriot sides go into Thursday’s games off the back of wins in the country’s domestic league on Sunday, with Pafos FC having beaten Apollon 1-0 on the west coast, Omonia having come from behind to dispatch Omonia Aradippou 3-1 at the GSP, and Apoel having withstood a late fightback to beat Ael 2-1 in a behind-closed-doors game at the Alphamega Stadium.

However, the journey home from Limassol was not plain sailing for Apoel, with people having thrown rocks at the team’s bus on the motorway as it made its way back to the capital, smashing the glass in one of its doors.

Source: Cyprus Mail