APOEL, Athletikos Podosferikos Omilos Ellinon Lefkosias, will face Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals at Neo GSP Stadium on March 27, while the second leg will be played at the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu on April 4.
To say that Los Blancos are the favorites would be the understatement of the century. That being said, APOEL have nothing to lose, while Jose Mourinho and Real Madrid have everything to lose.
This will make for an appetizing tie, with Madrid inevitably advancing to the semi-finals of the competition.
Nonetheless, what a story this is for APOEL, who have become the first Cypriot club to reach the Champions League quarter-finals after defeating Ligue 1 giants Olympique Lyonnais in the Round of 16.
“It’s fantastic for us. We’ve done something a Cypriot team has never done before and I believe it will be difficult for us to reach the last eight, but it’s fantastic [nevertheless],” said APOEL general manager Marios Georgiou.
“It’s a fairytale for us and we’ve enjoyed it 100 per cent. We have nothing to lose, only to gain. We are relaxed and free of anxiety, so we are going to enjoy it.
“Of course, all dreams must come to an end at some point and I think we are almost at the end of the dream.”
I really admire Georgiou for being realistic, while simultaneously hailing the performance of his club.
He’s essentially taken all the pressure off his players for the first leg at Neo GSP Stadium in Nicosia on March 27.
Unfortunately, I still think Los Blancos will advance to the semi-finals and quite comfortably may I add.
To be perfectly honest, I wouldn’t be surprised if Real Madrid netted eight goals in the tie.
How did APOEL reach the UEFA Champions League semi-finals?
Overachieving would be one way to put it, but organization, determination and true grit is a more accurate answer.
APOEL boss Ivan Jovanovic, who built his club from scratch according to Georgiou, has done an amazing job preparing his side for battle in 2011-12.
Furthermore, having players of high quality never hurts, and APOEL certainly have a strong squad, including the likes of Gustavo Manduca and Aílton José Almeida.
“Even though we come from a small country, we have players of a high quality, and they showed that in the group stage and the round of 16,” added Georgiou.
“We had great games against big teams with budgets 10, even 20 times bigger than ours, and now we have Madrid in front of us, we will try even harder.
“The odds are against us, but to play against Madrid is an honour for us.”
Can APOEL knock Real Madrid out of the Champions League?
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