APOEL Nicosia vs Ajax preview - De Boer wary of APOEL

Posted Tuesday, September 30, 2014 by PA

Ajax boss Frank de Boer has warned his side APOEL will prove tough opponents in Tuesday's Champions League clash in Nicosia.

The Amsterdammers have travelled to Cyprus knowing victory could put them top of Group F after two games.

The Eredivisie giants drew 1-1 at home to Paris St Germain in their pool opener, but APOEL gave Barcelona a fight in the Nou Camp, only going down 1-0.

And De Boer knows at hosts the Cypriots will be an even stronger proposition.

"It will be difficult, I'm sure," he said at a press conference. "They are good and experienced players, especially here at home they are very hard to beat. They play in a compact stadium and want to be dominant. They are usually in their own country, they are by far the best and biggest club in Cyprus ."

APOEL reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League in 2011-12, beating Lyon on penalties in the last 16. Ajax would have been APOEL's opponents on that occasion had Lyon not gone through the group stages at their expense on goal difference.

"I do not know a lot of football in Cyprus, but those two games against Lyon have taught me that APOEL are just a really good team," De Boer added. "I have confidence in a good result, but also think that we should have a lot of respect for them."

Ajax are sweating on the fitness of midfielder Lasse Schone, who scored the equaliser against PSG, but De Boer said that he had a "70 per cent" chance of starting the match.

Ajax go into the match on the back of three straight wins, while APOEL dropped their first points of the Cypriot league season as they were held 0-0 by AEL last time out.