What a week for Limassol football. Its top two clubs are enjoying first and second place in the league, trading places on goal difference.
With 12 games played, a single goal separates Ael and Apollon in first and second place, with Anorthosis in the top 3 after narrowly overcoming Aris 1-0 at the end of stoppage time.
In a thrilling encounter yesterday, Omonoia and Ermis drew 2-2, with the Aradippou club failing to capitalise on Apollon’s defeat, as a win would have seen them climb to the top.
Ermis now shares third spot with Anorthosis, while rival Nicosia clubs Omonoia and APOEL make up fifth and sixth on 24 and 23.
The talking point of match day 12 was Apollon’s demise in Limassol on Saturday at the hands of Nea Salamina, which notched up a 2-1 away win, even down to 10 players, following a send off early in the second half. Apollon, the outstanding team of the league by all accounts, looked rather disjointed at times and largely failed to produce the usual sparkling form and finesse that has made it firm favourite for this year’s title.
In spite of the wake up call that led to it equalising Salamina, Apollon did not capitalise on its many chances and conceded a second from a brilliant free kick. Perhaps the Europa League has taken its toll on the Apollon players, with a chasing pack of four teams now ever closer.
Ael has made fast progress, with five wins in a row taking it into top spot under new management. It seems that the Limassol club is has set its sights of emulating its feat of two years ago and has proved itself to be a steady riser and increasingly, a believer in the league title. If it continues its current vein of form, it will take something exceptional for someone else to lift the trophy.
Next Monday sees another Omonia-APOEL derby, with the winner set to close the gap with the leaders and the vanquished facing more work to cover lost ground. Omonia seems to be in good steady form of late, with much renewed faith while APOEL although still a shadow of last year’s champion performance has made a bit of a comeback with two wins in a row against lesser rivals. There are never safe predictions in the Nicosia derby.
In the rest of the weeks’ games, AEK thrashed bottom Alki 5-2 while Enosi Neon Paralimni and AEK Kouklion drew 2-2. Enosi, which started on -3 needs to do plenty more to get closer to the strugglers ahead.

Cyprus Weekly