'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
APOEL Nicosia will host Petrocub at the GSP Stadium on Tuesday in the first leg of their 2024-25 UEFA Champions League second-round qualifying clash. The home side lifted the First Division title last season, returning to the pinnacle of Cypriot football for the first time since the 2018-19 campaign and will now fight for a spot in the Champions League group stages.
They kicked off their pre-season campaign with a 2-1 win over Serbian outfit Spartak Subotica before playing out draws in their subsequent three friendlies and will be looking to mark their return to competitive action on a positive note.
Petrocub, meanwhile, were crowned champions of the Moldovan top flight for the first time in club history last season and are now on the hunt for continental football. They were drawn against Ordabasy in the previous round of the qualifiers playing out a goalless draw against the Kazakh side in the first leg.
They then secured advancement to the second round with a 1-0 win in the return leg on home turf with Teodor Lungu scoring the sole goal of the game in the first half.
APOEL Nicosia vs Petrocub Head-to-Head and Key Numbers
- Tuesday's game will mark the first-ever meeting between APOEL and Petrocub.
- The visitors' only encounter against Cypriot opposition came back in the 2019-20 campaign when they faced AEK Larnaca in the UEFA Europa League qualifiers, losing the first-round clash 2-0 on aggregate.
- APOEL have kept just two clean sheets in their last eight competitive games.
- Petrocub were the highest-scoring side in the Moldovan top-flight last season with a goal tally of 59.
APOEL Nicosia vs Petrocub Prediction
APOEL are on a run of three consecutive draws and have won just one of their last six games across all competitions. They are, however, unbeaten in their last two home matches and will be looking to extend that streak on Tuesday.
Petrocub are on an outstanding 33-game unbeaten streak stretching back to last September. They have performed brilliantly on the road of late but could see defeat against significantly stronger opposition this week.
Prediction: APOEL 2-1 Petrocub
APOEL Nicosia vs Petrocub Betting Tips
Tip 1 - Result: APOEL to win
Tip 2 - Goals - Over/under 2.5 - Over 2.5 goals (Four of the visitors' last six matches have produced more than 2.5 goals)
Tip 3 - Both teams to score: YES (Both sides have found the back of the net in four of the hosts' last five matches)
