APOEL braced for Real Madrid backlash
Real Madrid CF had a bold awakening on matchday four, though a holders are still good placed to strech a UEFA Champions League turn of 16 for a 15th deteriorate in a quarrel as they revisit APOEL, who are still harbouring gloomy hopes of a warn gift of their own.
• Madrid won their initial dual Group H games, including a 3-0 home feat opposite APOEL on matchday one, though picked adult usually one indicate from their dual fixtures opposite Tottenham Hotspur FC and are second in a territory on 7 points, 3 behind their English rivals. Zinédine Zidane’s side though reason a five-point pillow over both APOEL and Borussia Dortmund, and will validate if they win, or if they pull and Dortmund destroy to win during home to Tottenham.
• APOEL’s conditions is simple; they contingency win to stay in quarrel for a top-two place.
Previous meetings
• The teams met for a usually time before this deteriorate in a 2011/12 quarter-finals, with Madrid posting a gentle victory. Three goals in a final 19 mins of a Nicosia initial leg, from Karim Benzema (72, 90) and Kaká (82), put a Merengues in authority of a tie; they followed adult by winning 5-2 during home with Cristiano Ronaldo scoring twice and Kaká, José Callejón and Ãngel Di MarÃa once apiece. Gustavo Manduca and Esteban Solari were on aim for APOEL.
• The teams for a initial leg during a GSP Stadium on 27 Mar 2012 were:
APOEL: Chiotis, Paulo Jorge, Oliveira (Kaká 13), Poursaitides, AÃlton, Charalambides, TriÄkovski, Pinto (Solari 72), Morais, Alexandrou (Sousa 46), Boaventura.
Madrid: Casillas, Arbeloa, Ramos, Pepe, Coentrão (Marcelo 64), Khedira, Nuri Åžahin (Granero 84), Özil, Ronaldo, Benzema, HiguaÃn (Kaká 64).
Match background
APOEL
• The Cypriot club’s record opposite Spanish sides is W1 D5 L11; during home W1 D4 L3. That solitary win can in a many new encounter, a 2-0 better of Athletic Club in final season’s UEFA Europa League turn of 32.
• At home in this season’s organisation stage, APOEL have lost 3-0 to Tottenham and drawn 1-1 opposite Dortmund.
• The Tottenham better and a 1-0 detriment to RSC Anderlecht in final season’s UEFA Europa League turn of 16 are APOEL’s usually reverses in their final 13 European home games – 9 of that finished in victory. Those dual defeats and a Dortmund pull featured a usually goals APOEL have conceded in their final 9 home fixtures.
• APOEL have not won a compare in a UEFA Champions League, organisation theatre to final, given beating Olympique Lyonnais 1-0 in their turn of 16 second leg on 7 Mar 2012. Their unbroken record is D2 L9.
• The Cypriot bar are in a organisation theatre for a fourth time, carrying formerly competent in 2009/10, 2011/12 – when they went all a approach from second subordinate turn to quarter-finals, losing to Madrid – and 2014/15.
• APOEL won by from a second subordinate turn to strech this organisation stage, violence Luxembourg’s F91 Dudelange (2-0 on aggregate) and FC Viitorul of Romania (4-1). In a play-offs they overcame SK Slavia Praha 2-0 during home before a goalless divided draw.
• Thwarted in a play-offs by FC København 12 months ago, APOEL went on to finish initial in their UEFA Europa League group, subsequently ousting Athletic 4-3 on total in a turn of 32 before losing to Anderlecht 1-0 both home and away in a final 16.
• APOEL competent for this season’s UEFA Champions League by clinching a fifth unbroken Cypriot joining pretension in 2016/17.
Real Madrid
• Madrid’s initial divided diversion in Group H was a 3-1 success during Borussia Dortmund on matchday two, though they lost by a same scoreline during Tottenham final time out.
• That means Zidane’s organisation have mislaid dual of their final 3 UEFA Champions League divided games. A 2-1 better during Club Atlético de Madrid in final season’s semi-final second leg (4-2 aggregate) finished Madrid’s six-game dominant divided run in a UEFA Champions League (W3 D3). They have now mislaid 3 of their final 14 divided matches, a other a 2-0 retreat during VfL Wolfsburg in a 2015/16 quarter-final initial leg; they won 7 of those games.
• Madrid have mislaid usually dual of their final 23 European fixtures, winning 15 and sketch six.
• The Spanish organisation have a ideal record opposite Cypriot clubs, winning all 7 prior contests and scoring 37 goals while surrender usually three. Away from home their goals total is 17–0.
• In 21 prior participations in a UEFA Champions League, Madrid have never unsuccessful to swell to a final 16.
• Madrid finished second in their organisation in 2016/17, behind Borussia Dortmund – the initial time given 2012/13 they had unsuccessful to tip their section.
• Champions of Europe for a 12th time in 2016/17 – courtesy of their 4-1 final win opposite Juventus – Madrid are aiming to turn a initial organisation given FC Bayern München in 1976 to explain 3 unbroken European Champion Clubs’ Cups. AFC Ajax (1971–73) and Madrid themselves (1956–60) are a usually other sides to have won 3 or some-more in a row.
Coach and actor links
• Zidane scored a opening idea in France’s 4-0 feat over Cyprus in a 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifier on 12 Oct 2005. Stathis Aloneftis was in a visiting side.
• Ronaldo struck twice and supposing an support in Portugal’s 4-0 UEFA EURO 2012 subordinate delight in Cyprus on 2 Sep 2011.
• Gareth Bale got a Wales winner opposite Antreas Makris’s Cyprus in Nicosia in a UEFA EURO 2016 qualifier on 3 Sep 2015.
• Igor De Camargo was in a KRC Genk organisation beaten 6-0 during Madrid in a UEFA Champions League initial organisation theatre on 25 Sep 2002.
• Roberto Lago done 194 joining outings for RC Celta de Vigo between 2007 and 2013 before relocating to Getafe CF. He played 52 times for a Madrid bar over 3 years.
• Lago’s record opposite Madrid with Celta and Getafe was W1 D0 L5. The solitary win was a 2-1 Celta success in a Copa del Rey fifth turn initial leg in Dec 2011; Madrid won a lapse 4-0.
• Jesús Rueda was during Real Valladolid from 2007 to 2015, spending 2009/10 on loan with Córdoba CF. He played during a Bernabéu twice, both times for Valladolid; his side mislaid both matches, surrender 4 goals in each.