If any doubts persisted that APOEL are deserving of their place among Europe’s elite football clubs this season, Wednesday night’s performance in beating Lyon to book a place in the Champions League quarter-finals will have certainly dispelled them.
On drawing APOEL in the last 16 in December, a leading French sports paper announced that Lyon had been handed “an early Christmas present”.
The Cyprus champions were the team everybody wanted to play in their first participation in the competition’s knockout phase.
But after defeating Lyon 4-3 on penalties in Nicosia in what was arguably their best performance in the Champions League so far, the feeling now is that nobody will look forward to facing APOEL.
“We got to where we wanted, with the eight best teams in Europe. Now we feel we can move forward, and deal with any team that comes,” APOEL chairman Phivos Erotocritou told reporters after the game.
APOEL have made a habit of giving their fans unforgettable European nights in these last three years – a concept that seemed foreign to Cypriot football fans who traditionally took to their sofas or the island’s many bars and cafes to watch the giants of European football battle it out amongst themselves in the continent’s elite club competition.
“We have been in the Champions League for nine months and we are living a dream, however it is true that a team with such confidence and this amazing public can achieve anything,” APOEL’s Serbian coach Ivan Jovanovic said.
“My players knew what they wanted and in the end we were able to qualify for the last eight. Just saying it, believe me, it’s something fantastic.”
Jovanovic had said prior to the game that his team needed to pull off “the perfect match” if they were to overcome a 1-0 deficit from the first leg in France and qualify. Well they could hardly have wished for a better start as they drew level in the tie within the first nine minutes.
Captain Constantinos Charalambides burst into the Lyon penalty area and delivered the perfect ball for Brazilian Gustavo Manduca to tap in from close range to send some 23,000 Cypriot fans into raptures.
In stark contrast to the first leg, where APOEL hardly ventured forward and managed just one attempt on goal in the entire match, the Cypriots showed an attacking intent they had not demonstrated so far in the competition where they made a name for themselves with their solid defensive play and organisation at the back.
The Cypriots missed a couple of decent opportunities to win the game in normal time but were forced back into their own half as the game went into extra time, but Lyon could not find a way through.
Dionisios Chiotis was the hero in the shootout, with the Greek goalkeeper saving penalties from Michel Bastos and Alexandre Lacazette in similar fashion.
Chiotis’ comments after the game are evidence of the incredible belief that has been a characteristic of the entire European campaign.
“I believed that I would save a penalty, I was certain of it and I did it. I don’t know how far this team can go. We will see,” he said.
As for Lyon, president Jean-Michel Aulas said: “It’s an immense disappointment,” after his side bowed out at the last-16 stage for the fifth time in six seasons.
“That first goal put us in a difficult situation. Playing for qualification here is like playing with fire. I tip my hat to APOEL,” he added.
Lyon won seven French titles in a row in the last decade but now lie seventh in Ligue 1 and are all but out of contention for a Champions League place next term.
Rookie coach Remi Garde’s future is now up in the air despite reaching a French League Cup final next month.
“That was an amazing night – it will live in our memories for many years,” said goal-scorer Manduca.
“We’ve made history for this country and we’re proud of that. We want to enjoy this moment.”
APOEL have won five of their seven home games in this season’s competition, losing only to Shakhtar Donetsk, and Manduca said the fans had played a massive part in the campaign.
“The crowd showed us again what they are about, they’re just amazing,” he said. “They give us so much help we feel like we have more players on our side.”
Manduca will be suspended for the first leg of the quarter-finals and he is clear about the teams APOEL want to avoid in next Friday’s draw.
“I don’t want Barcelona. No one wants them, or Real Madrid,” he said.
“Every team is bigger than us and has more history than us but we’ll enjoy the games and we’ll continue to dream – why not?”
