From one derby to… another!
Apollon and Anorthosis have another big game ahead of them, following their opening-round matches, as they face off today (September 5, 7:00 p.m.) at the “Alphamega Stadium” for the second matchday of the Cyprus League by Stoiximan. Both teams are desperate to secure their first three points.
The Limassol side is coming off a “satisfying” 2-2 draw with Aris, where—despite missing several players and falling behind twice— they managed to show character and come away with at least a point.
On the other hand, “The Lady” lost 2-0 to AEL after putting in a poor performance, which caused concern among the management, prompting them to call El Maestro in for a meeting to find immediate solutions for a turnaround.
The “blue-and-whites” have the upper hand going into the match, as they have played more games due to the European qualifiers and put in a stronger performance in the first matchday.
Hernán Lozada is drawing up his game plan without four players. First, Ivan Ljubić and Morgan Brown remain on the sidelines, with the former suffering from muscle soreness and the latter dealing with a foot injury.
Also on the injury report are Brandon Thomas and Gaetan Weissbeck, who must serve their suspensions resulting from the direct red cards they received in last year’s Coca-Cola Cup final.
A positive development for the Spanish coach is the return of Josef Kvidda. The 29-year-old has resumed training at a normal pace, having fully recovered from his injury, and stands a good chance of earning a spot in the starting lineup.
In the “blue-and-yellow” camp, the Serbian coach will be without Artymatas, Stefanos Charalambous, and Tosic, as well as the suspended Van Nistelrooy. Furtado is considered doubtful.
