Battling it out for a place in the Champions League playoffs, Aris Limassol and Rakow Czestochowa meet for the second leg of their third qualifying round tie on Tuesday.
Polish champions Rakow lead 2-1 following last week's first leg, and the winner will go on to face either Copenhagen or Sparta Prague in the final stage before the hallowed group phase.
Match preview
Trailing to goals by Vladyslav Kochergin and Fabian Piasecki at Czestochowa's Miejski Stadion Pilkarski last week, Aris grabbed a lifeline with a late strike from South African forward Mihlali Mayambela, which keeps them within touching distance ahead of Tuesday's home leg.
It was an increasingly rare defeat for Limassol's third-biggest club, who recently followed up last season's title win with Cypriot Super Cup success and then thumped Belarusian champions BATE Borisov 11-5 on aggregate in the Champions League's second qualifying round.
Now at the final stage before the decisive playoffs, Aleksey Shpilevsky's side upset the odds to beat city rivals Apollon and AEL to top spot in the Cypriot First Division last term, having only made their debut in UEFA competition at the start of 2022-23.
On that occasion, Aris exited the Europa Conference League's second qualifying round, but highly-rated coach Shpilevsky - backed by an ambitious president at the new Alphamega Stadium - is now aiming to take them far further in Europe's top tournament.
As they are yet to kick off the defence of their domestic title, the Light Brigade have been able to recharge and prepare on home soil for this week's return against Rakow, who are already three games into the new Ekstraklasa season.
Dawid Szwarga's side - who have so far eliminated Flora Tallinn and Qarabag in the Champions League qualifiers - have taken four points from their opening trio of fixtures in the Polish top flight, following a dramatic 2-1 defeat to Piast Gliwice on Friday.
After Kochergin found a late leveller, it appeared Rakow were on course to preserve their unbeaten record, but a stoppage-time strike by their hosts ultimately sent the champions home to Czestochowa empty-handed.
Having won the title for the first time last season, the Medaliki are potentially just three games away from a remarkable group-stage debut in the Champions League - and a consolation prize still awaits should they let their lead slip in Limassol.
The team which exits on Tuesday night will play the loser of a tie between Slovan Bratislava and Maccabi Haifa in the Europa League playoffs.
Team News
While Aleksy Shpilevsky has kept a relatively settled side this summer, Polish forward Mariusz Stepinski is pushing for promotion from the bench; hoping to join fellow Cypriot Super Cup goalscorer Mihlali Mayambela and Senegalese striker Yannick Gomis up front.
Another Pole, Karol Struski, should start in midfield against his compatriots, while captain Vana - who was voted the Cypriot league's best goalkeeper of 2022-23 - features between the posts.
Rakow, meanwhile, made several changes to their team for Friday's league clash with Piast, including the introduction of new signing Adnan Kovacevic, who recently returned from a thigh injury.
After making his delayed debut for the Medaliki, the Bosnian defender could force his way into the lineup for Tuesday's second leg in Cyprus, for which first-leg scorers Vladyslav Kochergin and Fabian Piasecki should return to the first XI.
German forward John Yeboah, who scored 10 goals in the Polish top flight last term for Slask Wroclaw, is still sidelined by injury; leaving Piasecki favourite to start up front.
Aris Limassol possible starting lineup:
Vana; Boakye, Brorsson, Yago, Caju; Struski, Szoke; Stepinski, Gomis, Bengtsson; Mayambela
Rakow Czestochowa possible starting lineup:
V. Kovacevic; Svarnas, Arsenic, A. Kovacevic; Sorescu, Berggren, Papanikolaou, Plavsic; Kochergin, Piasecki, Carlos
We say: Aris Limassol 1-1 Rakow Czestochowa (Rakow win 3-2 on aggregate)
Though Aris should have most of the ball - as they did last week in Poland - Rakow were by far the best defensive team in Poland last season and are capable of keeping them in check. It is set to be a tense, close-fought affair, with little to choose between the two teams, but it will be the away side who ultimately progress.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Jonathan O'Shea
