Apollon edge past OFI Crete

Apollon Limassol sealed their place in the third qualifying round of the Europa League after a 1-0 away win over OFI Crete on Thursday night.

Apollon replicated their tactics against Saburtalo in the previous round, with three at the back, and a shape which alternated between 3-5-2 and 3-4-3.

After a quiet opening to the match, OFI nearly opened the scoring three minutes before half-time when a backheel from Staikos resulted in a good chance for the Cretans, but the resulting shot was blocked by goalkeeper Dimitriou.

The first half was moderately uneventful, with both teams canceling each other out.

Apollon broke the deadlock in the 50th minute though. Dabo ran into space, controlling a long ball from deep after a tussle with an OFI defender. Unselfishly, the French forward cut the ball inside before passing to an unmarked Szalai who finished with a first-time shot.

OFI players were unhappy with the officials throughout the game, including an offside given after the ball was passed back by an Apollon player, meaning that an offside call was out of the question.

While OFI tried to make something happen in the second half, they failed to create any high-quality opportunities, allowing Apollon to hold on for a one-goal win.

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