OMONOIA FINISH TORPEDO IN STYLE

Coming in with just a 1-0 advantage after last week in Nicosia, there was still a lot of work for Omonoia to do in Georgia, but they rose to the occasion and buried Georgian side Torpedo Kutaisi with an emphatic 4-0 win, the two wins combining for a 5-0 aggregate, and Omonoia eliminates Torpedo Kutaisi for the second time in as many years. Stevan Jovetic and Willy Semedo had a brace each. Omonoia advances to the third round of UEFA Conference League qualifiers, they will next face Araz-Naxcivan from Azerbaijan, who themselves upset Aris Thessaloniki.

Omonoia visited Torpedo Kutaisi at Ramaz Shengelia Stadium in Kutaisi. The hosts came out swinging, and Irakli Bidzinashvili tested Fabiano early, but the Brazilian keeper was up to it. At the other end, an Omonoia corner found Captain Ioannis Kousoulos, but Kousoulos headed it wide. Stevan Jovetic, last week’s hero, then forced a save from Oto Goshadze.

On the half hour mark, Omonoia struck. Senou Coulibaly delivered a free kick from his own half and found Jovetic in the box, and with just enough space to smash a volley past Goshadze, 1-0 for Omonoia, and an important insurance goal. The rest of the first half was fairly benign, and that remained the score at halftime.

Omonoia began the second half exactly as they wanted to, with another goal. Once again, it was through Route 1, this time a clever through ball from Ewandro Costa found Willy Semedo, who did well to stay onside and get himself alone with Goshadze, and he made no mistake from there, 2-0 for Omonoia in the 47^th minute.

Omonoia continued to pour it on, when Loizos Loizou stole the ball from Matej Simic, went on a run past midfield, and found Jovetic, who took it the rest of the way, made a nice move to shake off Warley, and then put it under Goshadze, and in the 63^rd minute, it was now 3-0 Omonoia.

The onslaught didn’t stop there, as it was now time for Semedo’s second. Coulibaly sent Loizou on his way again, and once again, it was a good ball from Loizou that found Semedo, who had all day to wait out Goshadze and finally tuck it past the sprawling keeper, and when the dust settled, 4-0 was the final score, Omonoia comfortably through to the next round.

Torpedo Kutaisi(Dirk Schuster): 1. Oto Goshadze(GK), 8. Mateo Itrak(’59 17. Komnen Andric), 3. Ricardo Araujo(’75 5. Tsotne Nadaraia), 23. Matej Simic, 16. Sori Mane, 2. Warley(’85 26. Aleko Basiladze), 14. Felipe Pires, 18. Irakli Bidzinashvili(’75 6. Mohamed Cherif), 7. Vladimer Mamuchashvili(Captain), 9. Bjorn Johnsen, 20. Paata Gudushauri(’59 10. Giorgi Kohkreidze)

Omonoia(Henning Berg): 40. Fabiano(GK), 21. Giannis Masouras(’68 2. Alpha Diounkou), 5. Senou Coulibaly, 30. Nikolas Panayiotou, 3. Fotis Kitsos, 31. Ioannis Kousoulos(Captain)(’82 44. Novica Erakovic), 14. Mateo Maric, 7. Willy Semedo, 11. Ewandro Costa(’81 85. Angelos Neophytou), 75. Loizos Loizou(’82 19. Mikael Ingebrigtsen), 8. Stevan Jovetic(’68 9. Mariusz Stepinski)

Andrew Mantzas

Twitter: @MantzasNC