APOEL defied their underdog status last season in the Champions League and will have to face raised expectations when they take on seven-time Azerbaijani champions Neftchi PFC in the first leg of their Europa League playoff round on Thursday evening at 7pm on the artificial turf of the Dalga Arena in Baku.
“Logically this should be the most difficult opponent we have faced so far,” said APOEL President Phivos Erotokritou.
“This is the final knock-out round before the group stage of the competition. According to the information we have, Neftchi are a much better side than the other teams we have eliminated so far. It will be a very difficult game, but if we get the result we hope for I do not doubt we will advance to the group stage,” he added.
The Azerbaijani team is vying to become the first club from their country to reach the group stage of a major European club competition. They entered the play-off round of the Europa League after losing 6-2 on aggregate to Israeli side Kiryat Shmona in the third qualifying round of the Champions League.
APOEL’s Tunisian midfielder Selim Benachour has warned his team-mates not to be complacent ahead of the first leg against the European minnows from Baku: “It will not be an easy game. They are defending champions of their country so we have to take them very seriously. We must stick to our manager’s game plan throughout the game.
“We are not accustomed to playing on artificial turf despite the good performance in the last qualifying round. We will have to be at our best in order to get a result that can help us progress to the group stage,” concluded Benachour.
Gustavo Manduca, Esteban Solari and Ailton Almeida were not among the players who travelled to Baku so APOEL manager Ivan Jovanovic will not be able to count on them in the first leg. Influential Argentine midfielder Manduca has a hamstring problem, while Solari and Almeida are still not fully recovered after picking up injuries ahead of the previous round’s first leg match against Norway’s Aalesunds in Nicosia.
The return leg will be played next Thursday at the GSP Stadium in Nicosia with the kick-off scheduled for 8pm.
Cyprus Mail
