The championship this year rather resembles the English premiership. If not in football stars, prestige or money, at least drama-wise, both at the top, but even more so, at the bottom. It seems that every turn holds a reversal of fortunes, four games before curtain.
APOEL’s 2-1 loss to resilient Ermis at GSP (a taste of what’s to come in their Cup final clash next month) and AEL’s difficult home victory over struggling Anorthosis by 4-3 (an ‘English scoreline’) has put the Limassol title-hopefuls back on top with 75 point.
Less than a week after their resounding 3-0 drubbing of AEL, APOEL failed to capitalise and their below par showing against Ermis, left them on 72. Coach Yiorgos Donis took it upon himself, citing ‘managerial approach mistakes’, but that’s little comfort to fans.
Apollon, subdued of late, suffered a further setback as Omonia, on home ground, overturned a single goal deficit to take the match 2-1 in the final quarter yesterday. The Limassol blues lost the opportunity to gain ground on APOEL, remaining on 67, while Omonoia kept up their chances of 4th place very much alive, three points behind Ermis.
It’s more complicated in the lower tiers, following the weekend results. Doxa Katokopias beat Ethnicos Achnas by a single goal and Aris (34 points) drew 1-1 at AEK Larnakas. Doxa are now on 33, leapfrogging Ethnikos, who are in a relegation spot on 32, while AEK Kouklion with 22, have now surely dropped, after their 4-1 home defeat to Nea Salamina.
Everything to play for; if the point differences stay as they are (and that’s a big if), the title will be determined in the final round of the year in Limassol, the AEL-APOEL clash. At the other end, it’s anyone’s death between Ethnikos, Aris and Doxa Katokopias. Don’t hold your breath for the next three weeks.

Cyprus Weekly