APOEL and Omonia ready to resume rivalry

APOEL take on arch-rivals Omonia in Round 18 of the Cyprus football championship with both sides desperate for a win. APOEL trail leaders Anorthosis by six points, while Omonia find themselves two points behind fourth-placed AEL in the final title playoff spot.

“Definitely the pressure we feel increases as the gap between us and Anorthosis widens. We are a team that wants to win the championship and we will fight until the last match of the season to fulfill our goal,” said APOEL coach Ivan Jovanovic.

“Maybe after this match the pressure will increase even more or be reduced somewhat, but our target will remain the same. What is important for us is that we aim for a win, so we focus on the match against Omonia and not only on our league position,” he added.

Jovanovic will give a late fitness test to Selim Benachour who got injured against Apollon in the last round, while Christos Karipidis and Mario Budimir are close to a return to full fitness. New signing, Danish winger Mikkel Beckmann, is available for selection, but Angolan Francisco Zuela is away on international duty at the African Cup of Nations.

Omonia coach Toni Savevski has defender Charalambos Kyriakou available again, but Bruno Aguiar and Danielson are doubtful for the clash which is set to kick off this afternoon at 2.30pm at the GSP Stadium in Nicosia.

“What is unfortunate for us is that we have three matches in six days,” said Savevski whose side won a midweek Cup encounter against Ethnikos Achnas.

“We are now fully focused on the derby against APOEL. We have some problems, but we will try to do our best on the pitch for all the fans who will come to support us,” he concluded.

Elsewhere, this afternoon at 5pm, Ethnikos Achnas host Ayia Napa, while an hour later AEK and AEP Paphos take on Nea Salamina and Doxa Katokopia respectively.

Tomorrow afternoon at 2.30pm in-form leaders Anorthosis face a tricky Apollon test at the Antonis Papadopoulos Stadium in Larnaca, while at 5pm Enosis Neon Paralimni host Alki.

In the final match of the round with the kick-off scheduled for 7pm at the Tsirion Stadium in Limassol, AEL will be looking to return to winning ways as they host Olympiakos.

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.