APOEL wind down calendar year with AEK clash

 

The defending champions APOEL host the only other Cypriot team that remained in the European competitions until December, AEK Larnaca, at the GSP Stadium tomorrow evening at 6pm, in Round 14 of the national football championship.

“I watched the game between AEK and Steaua in Romania. AEK played really well and yet again showed their maturity as a team. It will be a difficult game for us despite of the fact that they just had an European game and could be more tired than us. Those are the normal things in professional football and we should not count on them,” said APOEL’s manager Ivan Jovanovic.

“It is true that some local games could be even trickier than the ones in the Champions League. We dropped points at home and away in the national championship, so against AEK we will only look how to win the game. We are not interested in any other outcome,” he concluded.

Marcinho, Almeida and William Boaventura are out injured for APOEL, while Helio Pinto is doubtful. Marcelo Oliveira and Sanel Jahic will skip AEK’s match due to suspensions.

On the other hand, Leon Fleming will give late fitness tests to Miljan Mrdakovic and Gorka Pintado, while Jason Demetriou and Njongo Priso are both suspended.

Elsewhere, at 5pm Aris take on Enosis Neon Paralimni, while Ermis Aradippou host Apollon Limassol, while at 7pm Omonia face Alki in Larnaca.

The last round in 2011 kicked-off on Friday with both AEL and Anorthosis recording 2-0 victories over Nea Salamina and Ethnikos Achnas respectively, while Nenad Mirosavljevic’s injury time goal provided Olympiakos Nicosia with a 1-0 win away from home against Anagennisi Derynias.

AEL currently top the league standings with 31 points, but both APOEL on 29 and Omonia in third place with 28 points have a game in hand.

 

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