OUR TEAMS DO US PROUD AGAIN!

Juventus 2-0 Pafos

Pafos were defeated 2–0 by Juventus in Italy, suffering their second loss in the Champions League league phase. The Italian side secured the win with goals from McKennie in the 68th minute and David in the 73rd.

Despite the result, Carcedo’s team will feel they could have left Turin with a positive outcome. Pafos delivered a disciplined and confident first half, creating clear chances and even striking the post through Anderson in the 31st minute.

Pafos entered the match with authority, threatening as early as the fourth minute when Anderson attempted a clever backheel that narrowly missed the target. Juventus responded through Yıldız, but Michael denied him with a difficult save.

While Juventus enjoyed more possession, Pafos’ defensive structure restricted their rhythm. The Cypriot team continued to create opportunities, with Dragomir twice forcing interventions from Di Gregorio – first with a close-range effort, then by setting up Anderson for the shot that hit the upright.

Juventus came close just before half-time through Kalulu, but the sides went into the break scoreless.

Juventus started the second half with greater intensity, testing Michael early through Koopmeiners and Yıldız. Pafos resisted the pressure until the 68th minute, when McKennie capitalised on space in the area to fire in the opener.

Five minutes later, Juventus doubled their lead on the counterattack, with Yıldız setting up an unmarked David to make it 2–0.

Pafos were unable to respond in the remaining minutes and left Turin empty-handed. While the defeat stands, their overall performance – particularly in the first half – offered a level of competitiveness that will give the team confidence moving forward.

Häcken 1-1 AEK

AEK Larnaca were seconds away from a huge away win in Sweden, but a 94th-minute equaliser meant they had to settle for a 1–1 draw against Häcken. Idiaquez’s side remained unbeaten and looked the better team for long spells, creating big chances through Naoum and later dominating transitions with Ivanović. A well-worked move on 65 minutes gave AEK the lead, with Ivanović slipping in Miramón to finish calmly past Berisha. Strong defensive organisation kept Häcken at bay for most of the game.

However, deep into stoppage time, Häcken found a way through when Hammar fired a low shot past Ałomerović to snatch a draw. Despite the late setback, AEK stay firmly in the race for a top-eight finish: a win in the next match would put them in an excellent position to qualify.

Rapid Wien 0-1 Omonoia

Omonoia pulled off a massive away victory in Austria, beating Rapid 1–0 to move up to eight points in their Conference League group. The match was decided early, with Neophytou scoring in the 18th minute after a tidy assist from Kitsos. From there, Berg’s side showed resilience, absorbing relentless pressure from Rapid and celebrating their first-ever win in Vienna against the Austrian club. Barring a dramatic twist, this result effectively places Omonoia among the top 24 teams heading toward the next phase of the competition.

Rapid created several dangerous chances in both halves, twice hitting the woodwork and repeatedly testing Uzoho, who delivered one of his best performances. Omonoia struggled at times to maintain possession but remained disciplined defensively and even threatened again through Semedo. Berg’s substitutions helped slow the tempo and manage the final stages, allowing the Cypriot side to withstand the pressure and secure a hard-earned, statement victory on foreign soil.