Champions APOEL look for revenge over AEL

APOEL manager Ivan Jovanovic is hopeful his team can turn the tables on AEL tomorrow afternoon at the Tsirion Stadium after suffering two consecutive 1-0 defeats to the Limassol side this season.

“It will be a very difficult match against a high-standing team. What troubles me is that we have lost the last two matches against them,” said Jovanovic.

“When we played them we showed no composure, but our aim is always to win.”

The Serb revealed that Gustavo Manduca will rejoin the team by the beginning of next week and that Aldo Adorno has a slight injury problem after last weekend’s victory over Apollon, while Helder Souza is suspended.

After a long absence Ailton has begun training and will have a late fitness test before the match.

“As a manager you always have some ideas you want to test. For example, you could switch players’ positions. Adorno and Esteban Solari do not do the same job for me, as each of them has a specific style of play, but the final team selection will be clear on Sunday morning,” Jovanovic concluded.

AEL manager Charalambos Christodoulou meanwhile has almost a full squad to choose from for the game. Stelios Parpas and Vouho are both expected to shake off injuries and play, while Angolan duo Dede and Marco Airosa could return from the African Cup of Nations in time for the match.

New signing, Angolan midfielder Gilberto, is expected in Cyprus next week as he requested to travel to Belgium first where he needs to settle personal affairs.    

There are three matches on today’s program and they are all scheduled to start at 6pm. Aris Limassol host Anorthosis, Enosis Neon Paralimni take on AEK Larnaca and Apollon Limassol travel to Achna to face Ethnikos.

Tomorrow, Nea Salamina meet Olympiakos Nicosia at 5pm. An hour later, league leaders Omonia host Anagennisi Derynias at the GSP Stadium in Nicosia.

In the final match of Round 19, Alki take on Ermis Aradippou in a city derby at the GSZ Stadium in Larnaca on Monday evening at 7pm.

 

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.