Cyprus League: Game Week 24 Roundup

AEL 2-3 APOEL

APOEL secured a crucial 3-2 victory over AEL at the Alphamega Stadium, confirming their place in the top six and moving to within two points of Pafos. After a fairly uneventful first half, Mancini broke the deadlock just before the interval with a composed finish to give the Nicosia side a 1-0 lead. AEL responded strongly after the break and levelled through a Natel free-kick, but their joy was short-lived as APOEL immediately restored their advantage through Abagna. Drazic later added a third before Conceição converted a late penalty to set up a tense finish. Despite late pressure, APOEL held on to claim all three points.

Ethnikos 0-1 Omonoia Aradippou

Omonoia Aradippou earned a vital 1-0 away win at Dasaki against Ethnikos Achna, strengthening their push for survival. The first half was evenly balanced, with limited chances for both sides, though Georgiou came closest for the visitors with a shot saved by Flores. Ethnikos began the second half brightly, but Omonoia Aradippou took their chance when it came through Lomonaco. The win lifts the “Doves” to 31 points, marking another important step towards securing their top-flight status.

Anorthosis 3-0 Paralimni

Anorthosis claimed a much-needed victory to distance themselves from the relegation zone, with two penalties and a direct free-kick from Kiko proving decisive. They started strongly and created several opportunities, eventually taking the lead through Sensi from the spot just before half-time. In the second half, Paralimni pushed for a response and hit the woodwork through Sesko, but Anorthosis remained clinical. Lopes converted another penalty to extend the lead, sealing an important win that eases the pressure as the season heads into its decisive phase.

Akritas 1-3 Krasava

Krasava secured a crucial victory to move up to 25 points, now just one behind Akritas, who remain just outside the relegation zone. Despite starting strongly, the Limassol side fell behind to a long-range strike from Zinonos and were then reduced to ten men after Chebake was sent off following a VAR review. However, they showed character in the second half, overturning the deficit through two decisive substitutions, Cheryshev and Lipski. Ba sealed the comeback from the penalty spot, completing an impressive turnaround and earning three vital points in their battle to climb the table.

AEK 1–1 Olympiakos Nicosia

AEK were held to a 1–1 draw at the AEK Arena, extending their winless run to three matches and dealing another blow to their fading title hopes. The match was disrupted twice by VAR communication failures – first in the 28th minute, leading to a near ten-minute stoppage and the game continuing without VAR, and again in the second half, which was delayed by five minutes before the system briefly returned in the 70th minute only to fail once more four minutes later. On the pitch, Vieirinha gave Olympiakos the lead deep into first-half stoppage time, before Saborit equalised shortly after the break. Both sides had chances, but neither could find a winner, with Olympiakos taking encouragement in their fight for survival, while AEK were left frustrated. Following the strong reaction from supporters, president Andros Karapatakis is reportedly considering resignation after allegedly stating that, following what he described as fan “ingratitude,” it could be his final day at the club.

Aris 2-2 Pafos

Aris and Pafos played out an entertaining 2–2 draw, with the real drama saved for the second half. After a relatively quiet opening 45 minutes, Aris took the lead in the 76th minute through Montnor, only for Anderson to quickly equalise after capitalising on a mistake by goalkeeper Vaná. The game then burst into life, with both sides pushing for a winner.

Aris thought they had secured victory when Gomis made it 2–1 in the 91st minute, but in the final act of the match, Pafos were awarded a penalty following a foul on David Luiz. Anderson stepped up and converted to snatch a late equaliser, ensuring the points were shared in a dramatic finish.

Omonoia 1-1 Apollon

An evenly contested game, played at a lively tempo, with both sides showing attacking intent. Omonoia created the first opening through Chatzigiovanis, while Apollon responded quickly with efforts from Rodrigues and Marques. The breakthrough came in the 37th minute after a defensive mistake allowed Rodrigues to fire the visitors ahead. Omonoia reacted almost instantly, as Mmaee made amends for his earlier error by setting up Tankovic, who finished confidently to level the score before the break. Omonoia began the second half on the front foot, pushing to take control and nearly doing so when Coulibaly found the net, only for VAR to rule the goal out for handball after a lengthy review. Despite the pressure from both sides in the closing stages, the match ended 1-1, allowing Omonoia to preserve their six-point lead at the top.

At the top of the table, Omonoia lead the way after 24 matches with 55 points, recording 17 wins and just three defeats, while boasting the league’s strongest attack (56 goals) and best goal difference (+39). Apollon remain their closest challengers on 49 points, followed by AEK Larnaca on 47, who continue to show consistency on both ends of the pitch. Pafos sit fourth with 45 points and remain firmly in contention, while APOEL are fifth on 42, combining attacking output with a number of drawn matches. Aris Limassol complete the top six on 40 points, keeping themselves within reach of the European places heading into the decisive phase of the season.

In the bottom half, AEL lead the group in seventh with 33 points, though their negative goal difference reflects inconsistency. Omonoia Aradippou follow on 31 points, while Anorthosis sit ninth on 28, having drawn 10 matches so far. Akritas Chlorakas (26 points), Krasava (25) and Olympiakos (25) remain closely grouped, with small margins separating them in the battle to avoid danger. Ethnikos Achna are currently 13th on 23 points after 15 defeats, and Paralimni sit bottom with just one point from 24 matches, still searching for their first win of the campaign.