Omonia go joint top, Anorthosis to face AEK in crucial clash

Omonia defeated Doxa 0-3 away from home on Friday afternoon, bringing the Greens on 47 points, the same as table leaders Apollon.

Omonia opened the scoring in the 22nd minute through Marko Scepovic, before Fotis Papoulis added two more in the 67th and 85th minute.

In Friday’s evening game Olympiakos fought back from a goal down to defeat Nea Salamina by 2-1.

In the biggest game of the round, AEK Larnaca will host Anorthosis Famagusta on Saturday afternoon.

AEK are currently in fifth place, one spot below Anorthosis, trailing the Famagusta club by six points.

Speaking before the game, AEK manager Sofronis Avgousti said that the game is of great significance to himself and his players and that it will require a lot of mental strength to get the desired result.

“Our opponent is a very well-drilled side, they are a very good team. The game will come down to who wants it more. This game is very important for us”, Avgousti said.

“We have to show a lot of passion and intensity and must be focused for 95 minutes”, he added.

Avgousti also commented on his team’s style of play and tactics throughout the season.

“We are happy to have scored seven goals in our last two games. We have to continue like this. What concerns me more is getting the three points. We definitely want to play good football but getting the points is more important”, Avgousti stated.

“When I first joined the club we played a back four, then we switched to a back three and we’re now back to a back four and managed to score seven goals. What matters is finding a way to surprise our opponents and score. The players make any system work or not”, Avgousti explained.

Over at Anorthosis, the club is waiting to see whether key wide forward Tornike Okriashvili will be fit enough to be included in the matchday squad.

Speaking to local radio station Super Sport, Anorthosis press officer Demetris Christoforou deferred the final decision on Okriashvili to manager Temur Ketsbaia.

“We will find out if anyone will be absent when the matchday squad is announced. Okriashvili has been training as normal and has been following the scheduled training regime at the pace which we expected him to. Now it’s up to the manager to decide whether he will be included in the squad”, said Christoforou.

Later that day, Apollon will make the short trip to Polemidia to face Karmiotissa, hoping to regain their three-point lead over Omonia.

Apollon recently made things tougher on Karmiotissa by recalling versatile wing-back Giorgos Malekkides after the transfer of Attila Szalai to Fenerbahçe.

Apollon made four new signings during this window, with the most recent one being that of versatile full-back Donald Guerrier.

On Sunday, Apollon will face Ethnikos Achnas at home, hoping to continue its resurgence under new manager Savvas Poursaitidis.

On the same day, AEL will face Pafos FC in Limassol. Pafos recently made headlines after they hired former Spanish international and Real Madrid player Míchel Salgado as their director of football.

Salgado will replace the recently-hired English Cypriot Stephen Constantine who will now take over as Pafos’ manager.

In Friday’s evening game Olympiakos fought back from a goal down to defeat Nea Salamina by 2-1.

Osei gave Nea Salmina the lead in 27th minute but 5 minutes later Salli hit the equalizer.

Ten minutes from time Mantzis gave Olympiakos the three points.

Nea Salamina thought they had levelled the score a few minutes later but Danilo was caught in an offside position by VAR.

With the win Olympiakos overtook Nea Salmina into 7th place.