By Andreas Vou
DESPITE being clear favourites in the draw, a disappointing 0-0 draw at home to FK Vardar last week means that APOEL’s Champions League hopes for this season hang in the balance on Tuesday night.
APOEL have become specialists in the qualifying phases of European competition in recent years, having reached Europe’s elite competition three times in the last six seasons. Yet failure to take their chances last Tuesday in Nicosia leaves them with the unenviable task of travelling away from home to try to get a favourable result to see them into the third round.
The standout player of the first leg was Vardar goalkeeper Tome Pacovski, who made a series of excellent saves to keep APOEL at bay. The 33-year-old was also the protagonist of an incident off the field, as a politically motivated banner offended the veteran and in return exchanged some unsavory words with the APOEL supporters behind his goal.
“Their supporters provoked a lot. They spat at us, they threw objects. Their banners were offensive,” said Pacovski after the match before issuing a stark warning as to what awaits the Cypriots on Tuesday.
“Now, hell awaits them in Skopje, in Macedonia, in front of our fans. We will let them think about what awaits them in Skopje,” he threatened, adding more fuel to an already fiery encounter.
APOEL press officer Nektarios Petevinos was keen to play down such intimidation tricks, insisting that all would be decided on the field.
“It doesn’t bother us at all. The talk about the atmosphere is clearly just a factor which is used to get people to attend the match, nothing else. When the match starts, nothing else matters. Plus, the stadium is not a proper football stadium, there is a running track and there is some distance between the stands and the pitch.”
Rather than be drawn into a war of words, Petevinos was keen to stress the importance of the match for APOEL, insisting that getting through to the next round was the only thing on their minds.
“It is a very important game, a game with no tomorrow. We have to go and get the result which will see us through to the next round. It is a final for APOEL.”
APOEL have been boosted by the news that key central defender Carlao is available for selection after being stretchered off in the first-half of the first leg. Other than long-term absentee Urko Pardo, manager Domingos Paciencia has a full squad to choose from.
Either a victory or a score-draw will see APOEL through to the next round. The match will kick-off at 9pm local time.
