UEFA EUROPA LEAGUE - 2016/17 SEASON MATCH PRESS KITS GSP - Nicosia Thursday 9 March 2017 19.00CET (20.00 local time) APOEL FC Round of 16, First leg RSC Anderlecht Last updated 09/03/2017 10:33CET Previous meetings 2 Match background 4 Team facts 5 Squad list 7 Fixtures and results 9 Match-by-match lineups 13 Match officials 17 Legend 19 1 APOEL FC - RSC Anderlecht Thursday 9 March 2017 - 19.00CET (20.00 local time) Match press kit GSP, Nicosia Previous meetings Head to Head No UEFA competition matches have been played between these two teams APOEL FC - Record versus clubs from opponents' country UEFA Europa League Date Stage Match Result Venue Goalscorers 1-2 Aloneftis 52; Habibou 29/08/2013 PO APOEL FC - SV Zulte Waregem Nicosia agg: 2-3 12, Naessens 90 Malanda 21; 22/08/2013 PO SV Zulte Waregem - APOEL FC 1-1 Brussels Alexandrou 88 UEFA Cup Date Stage Match Result Venue Goalscorers 0-1 28/09/2000 R1 APOEL FC - Club Brugge KV Nicosia Mendoza 21 agg: 0-3 Simons 37, Mendoza 14/09/2000 R1 Club Brugge KV - APOEL FC 2-0 Bruges 62 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup Date Stage Match Result Venue Goalscorers 0-1 24/09/1969 R1 APOEL FC - K. Lierse SK Lier De Nul 15 agg: 1-11 Vermeyen 10, 21, 43, 49, De Nul 20, 27, 75, 17/09/1969 R1 K. Lierse SK - APOEL FC 10-1 Lier 87, Put 55, Janssens 80; Agathokleous 65 RSC Anderlecht - Record versus clubs from opponents' country UEFA Champions League Date Stage Match Result Venue Goalscorers RSC Anderlecht - AEL Limassol 2-0 Mbokani 81, 28/08/2012 PO Brussels FC agg: 3-2 Yakovenko 89 Dossa Júnior 34, Rui AEL Limassol FC - RSC 22/08/2012 PO 2-1 Nicosia Miguel 72; Mbokani Anderlecht 62 UEFA Champions League Date Stage Match Result Venue Goalscorers Anorthosis Famagusta FC - RSC 0-0 02/08/2000 2QR Nicosia Anderlecht agg: 2-4 Baseggio 4, Koller 15, RSC Anderlecht - Anorthosis 26/07/2000 2QR 4-2 Brussels 28, 59; D. Pavlovic Famagusta FC 10, Papavasiliou 90 2 APOEL FC - RSC Anderlecht Thursday 9 March 2017 - 19.00CET (20.00 local time) Match press kit GSP, Nicosia UEFA Cup Date Stage Match Result Venue Goalscorers Verheyen 6, Luís 3-0 07/11/1990 R2 RSC Anderlecht - AC Omonia Brussels Oliveira 38 (P), Rutjes agg: 4-1 60 Charilaou 83; Christofi 24/10/1990 R2 AC Omonia - RSC Anderlecht 1-1 Nicosia 51 (og) European Champions Clubs' Cup Date Stage Match Result Venue Goalscorers 1-3 Andreou 24; Frimann 06/11/1985 R2 AC Omonia - RSC Anderlecht Nicosia agg: 1-4 16, 35, Grün 69 23/10/1985 R2 RSC Anderlecht - AC Omonia 1-0 Brussels Vandenbergh 42 Home Away Final Total Pld W D L Pld W D L Pld W D L Pld W D L GF GA APOEL FC 3 0 0 3 3 0 1 2 0 0 0 0 6 0 1 5 3 17 RSC Anderlecht 4 4 0 0 4 1 2 1 0 0 0 0 8 5 2 1 15 6 3 APOEL FC - RSC Anderlecht Thursday 9 March 2017 - 19.00CET (20.00 local time) Match press kit GSP, Nicosia Match background APOEL have made it to the last eight of the UEFA Europa League and are hoping that their excellent home form will hold as they welcome Anderlecht, out to score their 250th goal in this competition. Previous meetings • The sides are meeting for the first time in UEFA competition. • APOEL's six games against Belgian sides have ended W0 D1 L5 (L3 at home – D1 L2 in Belgium). Those results include a 10-1 loss at Lierse in 1969. • Anderlecht's eight meetings with Cypriot sides have ended W5 D2 L1 (W4 at home – W1 D2 L1 in Cyprus). Form guide • APOEL are unbeaten in seven European home games this season (W6 D1), keeping clean sheets in five of those matches. • Anderlecht's 3-1 round of 32 loss at Zenit was their first defeat in six European away games this season: W2 D3 L1. • UEFA Champions League quarter-finalists in 2011/12, APOEL have made it to the spring phase of the UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League for the first time. • Since lifting the UEFA Cup in 1983 – and losing the 1984 final – Anderlecht have not made it beyond the last eight of the competition. Links and trivia • The journey from Brussels to Nicosia is around 2,900km. • APOEL's Spanish goalkeeper Urko Pardo was born in Brussels and played for Anderlecht at youth level before moving on to Barcelona. • APOEL boast Belgian talent in the form of Brazilian-born forward Igor de Camargo, who played for Genk, FC Brussels and Standard Liège as well as making nine senior international appearances for the Red Devils. De Camargo and Anderlecht's Adrien Trebel were team-mates at Standard (2014–15). • Anderlecht (1983) are one of four former UEFA Cup and UEFA Europa League winners in the round of 16 along with Borussia Mönchengladbach (1975 & 1979), Schalke (1997) and Ajax (1992). • APOEL (CYP) are among four domestic champions in the round of 16 along with Beşiktaş (TUR), København (DEN) and Olympiacos (GRE). • Manchester United and Anderlecht are the only two clubs who also reached the round of 16 in 2015/16. • Belgium, with three clubs, is the nation most heavily represented in the round of 16. Only Germany and Russia, with two apiece, also have more than one club still involved. • Anderlecht are sixth in the all-time UEFA competition appearance rankings with 386 matches. Only one team has conceded more goals in Europe than their 503 – Real Madrid, with 548, though they have played 125 more games. • Anderlecht's next UEFA Europa League/UEFA Cup goal will be their 250th. • One of 12 Swedish players still involved in the round of 16, Anderlecht's Isaac Kiese Thielin is dreaming of playing in the UEFA Europa League final in his nation's capital, Stockholm. • Anderlecht's Andy Najar celebrates his 24th birthday on 16 March, the day of the second leg of this tie. The coaches • APOEL's Danish-born coach Thomas Christiansen was once a trainee at Barcelona, playing in their 1992 UEFA Super Cup success, and also scored once in two appearances for Spain. He joined APOEL this summer after two promising seasons as AEK Larnaca boss. • Capped once by Switzerland, René Weiler is in his first season as Anderlecht coach having spent his first two years of coaching abroad with Nürnberg in Germany from 2014–16. The one-time defender established his reputation in his home country with Schaffhausen and Aarau. 4 APOEL FC - RSC Anderlecht Thursday 9 March 2017 - 19.00CET (20.00 local time) Match press kit GSP, Nicosia Team facts APOEL FC Formed: 1926 Nickname: Thrylos (The Legend) UEFA club competition honours (runners-up in brackets) • None Domestic honours (most recent triumph in brackets) League title: 25 (2016) Cypriot Cup: 21 (2015) Ten-year record (UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League unless indicated otherwise) 2015/16: group stage (having transferred from UEFA Champions League play-offs) 2014/15: UEFA Champions League group stage 2013/14: group stage (having transferred from UEFA Champions League third qualifying round) 2012/13: play-offs 2011/12: UEFA Champions League quarter-finals 2010/11: play-offs 2009/10: UEFA Champions League group stage 2008/09: first round 2007/08: UEFA Champions League first qualifying round 2006/07: second qualifying round Records UEFA club competition • Biggest home win 6-0: twice, most recently v HB Tórshavn 28/08/97, UEFA Cup Winners' Cup qualifying round second leg • Biggest away win 1-5: B71 Sandur v APOEL 17/07/96, UEFA Cup preliminary round first leg 0-4: Murata v APOEL 27/07/06, UEFA Cup first qualifying round second leg • Heaviest home defeat 0-5: APOEL v Werder Bremen (match played in Hamburg) 06/10/65, European Champion Clubs' Cup preliminary round first leg • Heaviest away defeat 16-1: Sporting CP v APOEL 13/11/63, European Cup Winners' Cup first round first leg UEFA Europa League/UEFA Cup • Biggest home win 4-0: APOEL v Birkirkara 28/07/05, first qualifying round second leg • Biggest away win 1-5: B71 Sandur v APOEL (see above) 0-4: Murata v APOEL (see above) • Heaviest home defeat 2-5: APOEL v Velež 05/10/88, first round second leg 1-4: APOEL v Schalke 16/09/08, first round first leg 0-3 twice, most recently v Schalke 17/09/15, group stage • Heaviest away defeat 4-0 twice, most recently v Hertha Berlin 07/11/02, second round second leg 5 APOEL FC - RSC Anderlecht Thursday 9 March 2017 - 19.00CET (20.00 local time) Match press kit GSP, Nicosia RSC Anderlecht Formed: 1908 Nicknames: Paars-wit (Purple and Whites, Dutch), Les Mauves et Blancs (Purple and Whites, French) UEFA club competition honours (runners-up in brackets) • UEFA Cup Winners' Cup (2): 1976, (1977), 1978, (1990) • UEFA Cup (1): 1983, (1984) • UEFA Super Cup (2): 1976, 1978 Domestic honours (most recent triumph in brackets) League title: 33 (2014) Belgian Cup: 9 (2008) Ten-year European record (UEFA Europa League/UEFA Cup unless indicated otherwise) 2015/16: round of 16 2014/15: round of 32 (having transferred from UEFA Champions League group stage) 2013/14: UEFA Champions League group stage 2012/13: UEFA Champions League group stage 2011/12: round of 32 2010/11: round of 32 (having transferred from UEFA Champions League play-offs) 2009/10: round of 16 (having transferred from UEFA Champions League play-offs) 2008/09: UEFA Champions League second qualifying round 2007/08: round of 16 (having transferred from UEFA Champions League third qualifying round) 2006/07: UEFA Champions League group stage Records UEFA club competition • Biggest home win 9-0: Anderlecht v Derry City 23/11/65, European Champion Clubs' Cup first round first leg • Biggest away win 1-10: Haka v Anderlecht 14/09/66, European Champion Clubs' Cup first round first leg • Heaviest home defeat 0-5: Anderlecht v Paris Saint-Germain 23/10/13, UEFA Champions League group stage 0-5: Anderlecht v Bayern München 06/03/08, UEFA Cup round of 16 first leg • Heaviest away defeat 10-0: Manchester United v Anderlecht 26/09/56, European Champion Clubs' Cup preliminary round second leg UEFA Europa League/UEFA Cup • Biggest home win 6-1 three times, most recently v Mainz 03/11/16, group stage 5-0: Anderlecht v Tiligul Tiraspol 29/07/98, first qualifying round second leg • Biggest away win 0-3 on six occasions, most recently v Slavia Praha 18/08/16, play-off first leg • Heaviest home defeat 0-5: Anderlecht v Bayern München (see above) • Heaviest away defeat 6-1: Real Madrid v Anderlecht 12/12/84, third round second leg 6 APOEL FC - RSC Anderlecht Thursday 9 March 2017 - 19.00CET (20.00 local time) Match press kit GSP, Nicosia Squad list APOEL FC Current season All-time UCL UEL League UEL UEFA No.