APOEL make their return to the Champions League on Tuesday when they host Petrocub Hincesti at the Neo GSP in the first leg of their second qualifying round matchup.
The hosts will make their first appearance in this competition since a playoff round loss in 2019-20, while the visitors are hoping to extend their inaugural campaign in Europe's premier tournament.
Match preview
After winning seven successive league titles between 2013 and 2019, Cyprus's most successful club side endured a barren spell in recent years as they failed to lift the trophy for the next four seasons, their longest spell without a league title in the 21st century.
They were finally crowned champions once again last campaign, beating AEK Larnaca to the title on head-to-head points after they both finished on 73 points, qualifying for the Champions League second qualifying round.
Tuesday's first leg will be APOEL'S first appearance in the competition since 2019-20, when they lost 2-0 on aggregate to Ajax in the playoff round, and they will be hoping to qualify for the revamped league phase for the first time since featuring in the group stage in 2017-18.
APOEL do have plenty of history in this tournament, most notably becoming the first Cypriot side to reach the quarter-finals of the competition in 2011-12, just two seasons after making their debut in the Champions League.
Petrocub, on the other hand, are competing in Europe's elite tournament for the first time in their history this season and have already defeated Ordabasy on their route through qualifying.
A 0-0 draw in the first leg left everything to play for when they hosted Ordabasy in the second leg last week, where they secured a fantastic 1-0 win thanks to a 34th-minute goal from Teodor Lungu.
Last season's Moldovan Super Liga triumph was the first in their history, thanks to a phenomenal run in the final stages of the campaign that saw Petrocub go undefeated in their final 27 matches across all competitions.
That spell has continued throughout pre-season and into the beginning stages of this term, winning both of their friendly matches and going undefeated in their matchup with Ordabasy in the last round.
Petrocub will be hoping they can extend their unbeaten streak even further on Tuesday as they look to extend their Champions League run in an effort to qualify for the league phase.
Team News
APOEL are gearing up for their first competitive match in any competition in over two months and could name a similar starting side to their last friendly outing.
Last campaign's second top scorer Giorgi Kvilitaia joined Aris Limassol following the European Championships, leaving Marquinhos as their main source of goals.
The visitors made a single change going into their second-leg match against Ordabasy with the scores level following the first-leg draw, and they could opt to name that same starting 11 here after they won 1-0.
Lungu got the decisive goal from midfield in that game and is expected to partner David Abagna in the middle of the park, with last season's top scorer Mihail Platica likely to lead the line.
APOEL possible starting lineup:
Belic; Susic, Dvali, Petrovic, Quintilla; Donis, Sarfo, Tejera; Ndongala, Drazic, Marquinhos
Petrocub Hincesti possible starting lineup:
Smalenea; Bors, Mudrac, Douanla; Jardan, Lungu, Abagna, S Platica; Ambros, M Platica, Puscas
We say: APOEL 1-0 Petrocub Hincesti
Petrocub may be coming into this game on the back of a fantastic unbeaten run across all competitions, while they have also kept clean sheets in each of their last two matches, but we believe the hosts will prove too strong for them in this one and secure a narrow first-leg lead.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Ellis Stevens
