APOEL vs RFS

To advance from the fourth and final qualifying round of the Europa League, hosts APOEL will need to overcome their 2-1 first-leg deficit against Latvian Champions Rigas Futbola Skola on Thursday at the GSP Stadium.

Even though they had more possession of the ball and were not as strong defensively as they could have been, the home team found it difficult to penetrate the visitors' resilient defense in the first leg on August 22.

Cypriot champions Despite controlling the ball for 62% of the first leg, APOEL only managed to muster five shots and three attempts on goal.

In the 52nd minute, Youssef El Arabi, a striker, cut the deficit for APOEL in half by taking advantage of a clumsy clearing made in the penalty area by Ziga Lipuscek.

David Gallego, the manager, will be worried, though, because his team was lucky not to give up a third goal and was unable to seize the initiative after taking the lead.

Gallego's club has actually only won once in their last seven competitive games and is presently without a win in their last four games.

They have only won once in their last seven European games, having lost four and drawn one respectively, as a result of their defeat in the first leg.

APOEL has a mixed record at home as well; in their last five competitive games at the GSP Stadium, they have won twice, drawn once, and lost twice.

Although RFS's opponents only had 38% of the possession in the first leg and four shots on goal, they may have had more dangerous moments than APOEL overall.

Alain Cedric Herve Kouadio, a forward, gave the Latvian champions the lead in the 31st minute after Janis Ikaunieks set him up for the goal.

In reality, the score at halftime did not favor RFS, as Ikaunieks extended the lead from the penalty spot in the first minute of first-half stoppage time.

With 66 points from 26 games, the visitors are presently leading their local league. Their most recent match ended in a 0-0 draw with Riga FC on August 25.

Before that draw, RFS had won six of their previous 17 road games. This was only the fourth time they had lost an away game in that span.