It's not a lie. Not even a fairy tale. It can be a dream that no one wants to wake up from. There are no words to describe the epic written by APOEL and signed by the huge Sakis Chiotis, with two penalty saves. The champions are in the "8" of Europe and continue to dream that they can go even further. Why not, if in the draw comes e.g. Benfica? Here we are, everything is allowed…
Ivan Jovanovic's team won 1-0 against Lyon 150 9m in last year's semi-finals, the team that dreamed of lifting the trophy even this year. Manduka in the 23.000th brought the couple to a draw. The insecure French had to play the qualifier in the GSP that was boiling with 90 unrepeatable crazy people. Such a world has never existed again in a Cypriot stadium. If Ailton and Solari had better choices, the match would end not in overtime, but in the XNUMXth minute.
But the God of the ball did not turn his back on APOEL. Not even in his world he deserved a fight, not even a trip. Nor to Mandukas, who was sent off in overtime and it would be unfair to be fatal. Not even the marathon runner Elio Pinto who will play again in the Champions League. It was unfair to finish off the podium.
The perfect game
The champions made almost the perfect game. With a clear mind, as if they have been playing in the Champions League for ten years, excellent circulation, effective interventions in their impenetrable defense. And when they were out of power, when they continued with ten, a shocking, unrepeatable, unique world was there to push them. If they were somewhere behind they were in the attack, where as both Solari and Ailton especially spoiled them in the final pass. Yes, they could have finished Lyon earlier, more easily.
An unsurpassed duo center back erected a wall in front of the goal of Chiotis and the most attacks of the highly paid forks of Lyon stopped on him. The Greek goalkeeper was there as many times as he needed to "clean up", while Poursaitidis, but mainly Boaventura and Morais, played the game of their lives.
Full attack
APOEL entered the match exactly as planned by its coach. With 4-4-2 he beat Lyon in the heart of the defense and opened the score in the first phase of the match. The shocking Charalambidis did what he liked until the middle of the first half and the "Lions" seemed to have lost them under the disapproval of the public, which created a new ticket record at GSP.
In the process, the blue and yellows gathered to close spaces and looked for the counterattacks, but most of them stopped at the bad transfers of Solari. The visitors had a few chances, ladies with crosses as vertically the Morais-Elder duo was cutting almost everything.
People also played
With the inexhaustible support of the 23.000 "orange", Jovanovic's team was better in the second half and had clearer opportunities, beating the French with quick attacks, who could not control the center, as had happened in the first half. But Ailton was not in his best day, while the overlaps came out in front of Loris' goal.
Almost at the same time as Gomis entered, seeing that Gard would put pressure on the front, Jovanovic gathered in 4-2-3-1 and looked for the quick attacks with Triskovski - Marcinho. Lyon kept the ball at the end of the regular time of the match, but APOEL had the opportunities, even in the delays.
The same pattern continued in overtime, where APOEL could win the match again, if it had more correct options. After the dismissal of Manduka, the souls of Jovanovic's players spoke, who with the support of the fans, especially in the second 15 minutes of extra time, sent the match to the penalties, where Chiotis spoke.
Referee: Alberto Magienko (Spain)
Yellow: 9 'Manduka, 50' Solari, 88 'Ailton, 101' Boaventura / 50 'Bastos, 64' Kone, 112 'Gonalon
Red: 115 'Manduka (2k)
Goal: 9 'Manduka
Compositions:
APOEL (I. Jovanovic): Chiotis, Poursaitidis, Oliveira, George, Boaventura, Morais, Elder (94 'Alexandrou), Charalambidis (76' Marcinio), Manduka, Ailton, Solari (73 'Trisko)
On the bench: Pardo, Kaka, Satsias, Solomou
Out of 18: Kissas, Konstantinou, Antoniadis, Elias, Andorno
Punished: Pinto
Lyon (R. Gard): Loris, Reveier, Kone, Chris, Sissoko, Kalstrom, Gonalon, Brian (100 'Lacazette), Anderson (73' Gomis), Bastos, Lisandro
On the bench: Vercuter, Lovren, Grenier, Dabo, Fofana
Injured: Gurkuf, Mensa
SCIENCES
- Elder took the place of the punished Pinto, as expected. Jovanovic's team is absolutely predictable.
- The experienced Anderson was replaced by Guardian as a staff member instead of the young Grenier. The others were known, as he preferred Brian's returns to Lacazette's explosiveness.
HOW THEY PLAYED
Expected 4-4-2 from Jovanovic as he had tried in the last match and in training. It makes sense for the conservative 4-2-3-1 from Gard with two cutters, the defensive winger Brian and Lisandro to pull in the wings - mainly on the left. Lyon leaned to the left in the first half, with Lisandro and Bastos. In the 35th minute, the wingers of APOEL changed wings with Charalambidis going to the left.
With the start of the second half, the extremes of APOEL returned to their original positions while the French changed wings, with Bastos trying from the right now. Lyon turned 4-4-2 with the entry of Gomis, however Anderson played closer to Lisandro in the second half. Gomis was behind Lisandro to shoot balls. With the entry Triskovski - Marcinho, APOEL turned to 4-5-1 with "Trisko" (left) and Manduka (right) sharing the wings.
In overtime, APOEL was forced to go to 4-1-4-1 after being left without a cutter as Elder got tired, Alexandrou entered on the left and Manduca passed next to Marcinio. Triskovski and Alexandrou helped Morais the most in defense.
PHASES - GOALS
9 '- GOAL! 1-0, Manduka. Ailton dropped to Charalambidis who gave the perfect assist to the Brazilian who opened the scoring in the first phase of the match.
20 '- Direct, far foul by Bastos, easily Chiotis.
25 '- Awesome foul committed by Anderson, Chiotis shows it (in a corner).
27 '- Nicely manifested against APOEL with Ailton opening to Charalambidis who shoots (from the side) out.
30 '- Lisandro's cross, Bastos heads, high out.
39 '- Lyon's biggest chance with Gonalon's header going just wide - from a Bastos cross.
40 '- Dangerous cross by Manduca from the left, Solari touches the ball and does not let it go back to Ailton.
42 '- Elder takes Solari out of the area to shoot Loris.
56 '- Beam and corner for APOEL in the defense attempt to chase a foul by Elder.
60 '- Shot by Ailton, corner.
70 '- Charalambidis turns, Solari touches the ball but does not go to the goal. Big moment.
72 '- Chiotis chases a header by Brian in a corner, from a cross by Reveger.
90 '+ 3 - Triskovski turns but Loris catches before the ball goes to Ailton.
91 '- George heads back, just to save the own goal.
103 '- APOEL's defense chases an almost certain goal into a corner.
103 '- Head of Kone, on Chiotis.
110 '- Lacazette shoots, but it's a corner kick.
113 '- Ailton leaves in the back of the defense, delays, loses the ball.
114 '- Against Triskovski to shoot out.
THE PENALTIES
Kallstrom - 0-1
Αΐλτον - 1-1
Lisandro - 1-2
Morais - 2-2
Gum - 2-3
Alexandrou - 3-3
Lakazet - Chian
Triskovski - 4-3
Bastos - Chian
INTERESTING
Excellent choreography
With the appearance of the teams, all the stands of GSP were covered with orange and black cardboard in a choreography that at least in size has not been done again in the Cypriot stadiums.
Water break
Normally, the two goalkeepers just had to change their focus in the middle of extra time, but the APOEL players, tired, abused themselves for two minutes to drink water.
They saw it from the official
From the official in the upper part of the west, the punished Pinto watched the match, with Adorno, Elias and the others who were out of the mission.
They made their cross
Upon leaving the locker room, both the coach and many APOEL players made their cross as half the work had already been done. Jovanovic gave instructions to Giorgos Paraskevas for the players who would warm up.
Dozens with children
As in "Zerlan", so in GSP, with the announcement of the eleven, 22 boys and girls took the positions that the football players would take a little later, in an obvious move of UEFA to avoid the yucca. The experiment was largely successful. The little ones enjoyed it very much.
The lucky end
In the home in front of them "orange" APOEL attacked in the first half, as had happened in the matches with Copenhagen, Wisla, Zenit, Porto but also with Getafe, in the only time that the charm had broken.
In the GSP… Platini
In the press was Filippos Stavrou, also known as Platini, who has a museum in Mosfiloti dedicated to the former ace of the National Team of France and is a well-known friend of French football. On Wednesday (07/03) he welcomed French fans and journalists at the museum.
Pierre liked it
The flares may have resulted in a fine for APOEL and remarks to the police for improper control of the entrances, but Pierre Bidot, a Lyon spokesman who saw the match in the open media, particularly liked it and took pictures with his mobile phone.
Tiga half an hour ago
So great was the longing of the people of APOEL that the GSP filled from 21:15. 22.701 tickets were sold, the second largest record in the history of the stadium and bigger with the new layout where the seats were reduced.
Source: KATHIMERINI / Mikaelo Papadakis / SotiraNews