APOEL Nicosia - Five years on

It was this night five years ago, March 7th 2012 that history was made in the Cypriot capital of Nicosia. APOEL were welcoming experienced champions league campaigners Lyon to the national GSP stadium for the second leg of their last sixteen tie. History was already written getting this far but this night offered the chance to create even more and consolidate the club's place in a wonderful story of achievement. APOEL trailed 1-0 from the first leg but that deficit was closed within ten minutes in Nicosia. The hosts would go on to hold their nerve to emerge victorious on penalties with veteran keeper Dionisios Chiotis saving two Lyon penalties. APOEL on this night became the first Cypriot team to reach the quarter-finals of any European competition and of course this being the biggest of them all, the champions league.

Fast forward five years and APOEL are preparing for a Europa league last sixteen tie with Belgian powerhouse Anderlecht. Two games away from another quarter-final appearance. Sure it may not be the champions league but for APOEL to reach this far is a fantastic achievement. It has been a long journey for the club who started in the champions league qualifiers back in July.

Not many will have foreseen such a run being put together after they drew a blank in Oswestry, England against The New Saints. A 3-0 win in the home leg ensured progression but the Welsh team made them work for it for long periods. Norway's Rosenborg were next up and another first leg slip, a 2-1 defeat in Trondheim. Home conditions and an epic finale in the second leg saw APOEL fire three past Rosenborg in stoppage time. That late drama set up a play off round tie with another Scandinavian opponent in FC København. Yet again they failed to win the first leg, losing 1-0 and the Danes held out for a draw in Cyprus to edge through leaving APOEL with the Europa league.

The group that featured Astana, BSC Young Boys and the headline draw of Olympiacos provided an opportunity. An opportunity that was grasped with both hands. Victories over Olympiacos home and away provided the platform to the Cypriots topping the group by four points.

The first knockout round beckoned and it provided a massive stern test against Athletic Bilbao. A monumental effort would be required to get past the Basques. A thrilling first leg ended with a 3-2 reverse but the key positive was the pair of away goals scored by Giorgios Efrem and Yannis Gianniotas. Nobody could've foresaw the second leg events. APOEL stunningly saw off the seasoned Bilbao 2-0 in Cyprus as a Pieros Sotiriou volley and a Gianniotas penalty gave them a first ever victory over Spanish opponents in fifteen attempts.

A European run from England-Norway-Denmark-Greece-Kazakhstan-Switzerland and Spain sees the next stop in Belgium. It won't be easy against Anderlecht and they will be without their talisman Sotiriou as he was sent-off in that win over Bilbao.

Should they get through Anderlecht, APOEL will be the only Cypriot club
to make two European quarter-finals. Their European run has coinsided with their quest for a domestic double. Currently leading the Cypriot first division as it enters the split, APOEL are also still involved in the cup which sees them face AEL Limassol over two legs next month. These next few weeks could see then break new ground on a European scale while also reaffirming their domestic dominance.