After winning in Serbia, 2-1, the Cypriots need a draw to advance in the group stage of the Champions League. SBT broadcasts on Abert TV
This Tuesday 26/8, Modesto Pafos FC, Cyprus, tries a historic company: to secure a place in the group stage of the Champions League 2025/26. The CyPriot Club tackles the traditional Red Star of Serbia (Champions Champion in 1990/91) at the Alpamega Stadium in Limassol. This is the back duel of the last phase with direct elimination. At the exit, Pafos surprised and won by home 2-1. Therefore, it plays for a draw to guarantee an unprecedented classification. Paphos fans have exhausted the 8,000 tickets. And the Council will provide hundreds of buses that will start from the Pafos to the place of the game (the distance between the cities is 67 km).
Young team, but feeling in Cyprus
If you can eliminate the red star, Pafos will nail another gigantic feat for a club founded only 11 years ago. After all, the team had already attracted attention to the victory of the CyPriot Championship last season. And also for having reached the 16 of the Conference League round in the same year. In addition, in the preliminary stages of the champions, Pafos has already eliminated two much more traditional clubs: Maccabi Tel Aviv and Dynamo Kiev.
To look at
SBT will do the open broadcast of this 16h match (Brasilia). TNT and Max channels also transmit.
How does the Pafos arrive?
The Spanish coach Juan Crespo will not be able to count on the main reinforcement of the club’s history, the Brazilian defender David Luiz. The former team of Fortaleza, Flamengo, Arsenal, PSG, Brazilian national team, among others, arrived hired with superstar status at the beginning of this month. But he still follows without playing.
However, the other three Brazilians of the cast should be on the pitch: the defender Bruno Felipe (at the club since 2023 he never performed in Brazilian football) and the attackers Anderson (ex Grangueetá and Guarani) and Jajá (ex athletic-pr and Cruzeiro, with a passage through the national Under 20 team). Jajá, however, could lose his place for Tankovic if the coach opts for a more cautious training.
Quina, which has been appropriate to the road, should start from the bank. Pafos has been unbeaten for 11 games – if he has the sequence, he is guaranteed in the group stage.
How does the red star does?
On the other hand, the Red Star came from a sequence of 15 games unbeaten to defeat in the spring – at home, at the stadium known as “Maracanã de Belgrain”. The Serbia team has eliminated Lincoln Red Imps and Lech Poznań in the previous stages.
Only the victory affects the team on the visit and the coach is still waiting until the last minutes to find out if he can count on the star that has just taken Arnautović, who is recovering from an injury. If it is not able, the expert katai will probably follow as the main offensive weapon. Another culminating point is the Brazilian Rodrigão, a former Athlético-Mg and Zenit, who returns after undue appropriation of the team in the last round. Therefore, the leadership of the defense must resume.
Pafos fc x red star
Champions playoff – time
Date and time: 26/06/2025, 16h (from Brasilia)
Place: Alphamega Stadium, Limassol (CHP)
Pafos FC: Michail; Bruno Fernandes, Luckssen, Goldar and Pileas; Pepe, Sunjic; Correa, Dragomir, Tankovic (Jajá); Anderson. Technician: Juan Carlos Carcedo
Red star: Matheus; Seol, Veljkovic, Rodrigão and Tiknizyan; Elsnik and Krunic; Milson, Bruno Duarte and Ivanic (Arnautovic); Katai (Ndiaye).Technician: Vlad Milojevic
Referee: Michael Oliver (Ing)
Assistants: Stuart Burt Lee Betts (Ing)
Var: Jarred Gillett (Aut)
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Source: Terra
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