The GSP Stadium once again takes on the atmosphere of the Cyprus League by Stoiximan! APOEL hosts Nea Salamina today (10/10, 7:00 p.m.) Nea Salamina as part of Matchday 5, in a game where both teams are looking to get off to a strong start after the break.
Following the 2-2 draw with Apollon, the “blue-and-yellows” have one goal: to capitalize on their home-field advantage, as well as their status as favorites, to stage a comeback and begin their climb up the standings, currently sitting five points behind the leader.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
The start of this year’s “marathon” was extremely demanding for the Nicosia team, which played four consecutive derbies, while it hadn’t yet had time to gel due to delayed roster moves.
The break came at a crucial point, giving Nikos Papadopoulos the necessary time both to work on the team’s weaknesses and to give the players a much-needed breather.
On the other side, the “Red-and-Whites” are coming off a strong run following their victory in the derby against Anorthosis (3-0) and will seek to cause trouble for yet another major rival, one that is, however, a higher-caliber opponent than the previous one. Ideally, the visitors would celebrate a second consecutive positive result, though even a draw wouldn’t be a bad outcome for them.
Of course, history isn’t on their side in either scenario, as they’ve never managed to come away with a win from GSP Stadium against APOEL. In 26 visits, they’ve suffered 23 losses and managed just three draws.
As for team news, the Greek coach is counting on the returns of Mancini and Carillo, while Laifis and Marquinhos are questionable. On the other hand, Ángel López will not be able to count on Confé.
