APOEL clinch seventh straight league title
CYPRIOT 1st DIV: CHAMPIONSHIP PLAYOFFS - (MATCHDAY 6)
| APOEL | 3 - 0 | Apollon Limasson |
|---|---|---|
| De Vincenti 14' Morais 36' Ioannou 44' |
With two games to spare, APOEL clinched their seventh straight Cypriot First Division title after an emphatic 3:0 win over Apollon Limassol.Watch LIVE GREEK TV including full GREEK SPORTS coverage from AGONASport.com!
In Saturday’s top of the table clash in the Cypriot First Division, APOEL recorded an emphatic 3:0 victory to secure their seventh consecutive league title.
Three first half goals from Tomas De Vincenti, captain Nuno Morais, and Nicholas Ioannou locked the victory for APOEL. The result was never in doubt for the Galazokitrini and they came close to an even larger scoreline. Apollon were left with 10-men in the 34th minute after Roberge was shown a second yellow card.
APOEL proved their superiority once again in the most important game of the season. Apollon, who put together a great season, failed to keep up with the expectations and could not match up against the defending champions in yet another match this campaign.
The result moves APOEL six points clear of Apollon, an advantage that cannot be overturned with two games remaining. APOEL defeated Apollon on all four meetings this season, giving the Nicosia side the head-to-head advantage in a possible tie.
APOEL will now look to achieve the double when they face AEL Limassol in the Cup Final.
THE MATCH
APOEL fans could not have wished for a better start to the game which featured the two best teams in the league. In the 13th minute, Musa Al-Taamari started a solo run from the midfield line, reaching Apollon’s penalty area and dribbled past Valentin Roberge and Dylan Ouedraogo, before providing an assist to De Vincenti, who had an easy task to open the scoring.
It was an intense and hard fought opening half hour forcing the official to show the yellow card multiple times. In the 34th minute, Apollon were left with ten men when Roberge was shown a second yellow card after a hard foul on Lucas Souza. From the ensuing freekick, Al-Taamari’s strike hit Bruno Vale’s post, but Morais was there to convert the rebound and double APOEL’s lead.
In the 40th minute, Souza took a header from close range with Vale there to stop the effort. A minute later, De Vincenti received a long ball but sent his shot wide with Vale out of position.
APOEL sealed the three points in the 43rd minute as Ioannou stole the ball and from outside Apollon’s penalty area, unleashed a rocket to beat Vale with a goal of the season contender.
In the second half, APOEL did not sit back but rather looked to increase their winning margin. In the 51st minute, Antonio Jakolis led the counter and found himself against Vale, however his shot was stopped by the post. It was a similar outcome twelve minutes later when the Croatian winger had another effort, but once again was denied by the woodwork.
Moments later, it was Roman Bezjak’s turn to waste a chance with Ouedraogo clearing the ball just before it passed the goal line. The Nicosia giants failed to increase their lead, but controlled their advantage to celebrate their seventh straight league title.
LINEUPS
APOEL: Boy Waterman (GK), Lucas Souza, Tomas De Vincenti, Musa Al-Taamari (Andre Vidigal), Nuno Morais (Kostakis Artymatas), Praxitelis Vouros, Giorgos Merkis, Leo Natel (Roman Bezjak), Nicholas Ioannou, Mickael Facchinetti, Antonio Jakolis
Apollon: Bruno Vale (GK), Esteban Sachetti (Kevin Bru), Sasa Markovic, Emilio Zelaya, Facundo Pereyra (Petros Psychas), Dylan Ouedraogo, Joao Pedro, Valentin Roberge, Fotis Papoulis (Vahid Selimovic), Hector Yuste, Adrian Sardinero
HIGHLIGHTS: APOEL - APOLLON LIMASSOL
