Top teams Pafos FC and Omonia square off at Alphamega Stadium on Thursday night in the second leg of their Conference League knockout phase playoff match, continuing the fight of Cyprus on the European front.
Before this crucial match, both of these teams are riding incredible winning runs, but at the end of play in Kolossi, one of them has to be sent out of Europe.
The hosts on Thursday night are hoping to make it to the Conference League's round of 16 in their first-ever European campaign. Pafos, which was only founded in the middle of 2014 as a combination of two defunct teams, have quickly risen to the relative top of the Cypriot game.
Although the Skaliotes' fifth-place performance in the top division hardly made headlines last season, the club's first major trophy—the Cyprus Cup—got them into the Europa League qualification rounds before they were demoted to the Conference League's League Phase.
After suffering a close 1-0 loss to Aris Limassol at home on January 11, Pafos has gone eight games without a loss in all competitions. On Sunday, they defeated Apollon Limassol 1-0 in the league, with midfielder Pepe scoring the game's lone goal.
Given their domestic record, the Skaliotes are unquestionably the favorites for victory in Thursday's all-Cypriot match at Alphamega Stadium. Juan Carlos Carcedo's team is presently leading the first division by ten points, with Omonia in third place. Pafos will take comfort in the fact that they have already handled two such situations in the Cyprus Cup this year, with the holders edging past Aris Limassol and APOEL Nicosia from 12 yards.pot, with the possibility that the match will be decided by penalties this week.
Dwarfing the achievements of their humble hosts, Omonia have lifted the top-tier title of Cyprus on 22 occasions since their first success in 1961, although Thursday night's visitors find themselves on an equal footing with the European newcomers ahead of the second leg. This storied history underscores Omonia's dominance in Cypriot football, yet the current campaign presents a fresh challenge as they aim to maintain their competitive edge on both domestic and continental stages.
Following a goalless first period at Neo GSP, it looked as if the Shamrock had snatched a first-leg advantage when Willy Semedo netted from the penalty spot, but the visitors were not done just yet, with former Dinamo Zagreb and Southampton attacker Mislav Orsic scoring off the bench. This late equalizer not only showcased Omonia's resilience but also highlighted the depth of their squad, as key players like Orsic stepped up when it mattered most.
Outdoing Pafos in one metric at least, Omonia are currently basking in the glory of a nine-game unbeaten streak across all competitions, with their most recent competitive defeat arriving back on January 7, when they suffered a shocking two-goal loss to top-flight minnows Anorthosis Famagusta. This impressive run of form has solidified their position as one of the most consistent teams in Cyprus, with their ability to bounce back from setbacks serving as a testament to their mental fortitude.
The Shamrock have endured two away defeats in the Conference League to date, getting dispatched 2-0 by Scottish Premiership outfit Hearts at Tynecastle Park in October, just a fortnight before an unsuccessful trip to Belgium, where Gent managed a narrow victory over the Cypriots. These results, however, have not deterred Omonia, as they continue to strive for success on the European stage, learning valuable lessons from each encounter.
Both sides commenced their December schedules this season with a top-flight battle at Alphamega Stadium, where a 96th-minute winner from former Manchester City and Inter Milan striker Stevan Jovetic secured maximum points for Valdas Dambrauskas's Omonia. This dramatic victory not only highlighted Jovetic's enduring quality but also demonstrated Omonia's ability to grind out results in high-pressure situations, further cementing their reputation as a formidable force in Cypriot football.
