Even more difficult after the matches of the second qualifying round of the UEFA competitions, the effort of Cyprus to maintain the fifth European ticket (which it won for the 2022/23 season) and for the following season (2023/24).
Our country, which started the year from the 14th place, came out, after the games of the second round, out of the privileged 15th team, as Croatia and Switzerland overtook us, dropping us to the 16th place.
The “poor” record of two wins and a draw in six games, resulted in Cyprus collecting only 625 points, the fewest, that is, of the seven countries claiming the two “open” positions of the 15th team. It is indicative that the Croats have already collected 2,125 (!) Points, the Swiss 1,125, while even Norway, which was far behind us, already got 1,500 points, approached and enters the battle for the fifth ticket timidly.
In addition, the exclusion of Apollo, which now leaves us with three representatives in Europe, is a major blow to Cyprus, although almost all the other contenders (except Turkey) also lost one team (Greece two).
Predictions before the group stage, however, in no case can be made, as the outcome of the battle will depend on the number of teams that each country will put in groups and of course on their progress there. It is, however, safe to say that if our country does not put two teams in the group stage, it will not have a chance to return to the top 15 and keep the fifth European ticket – which we got for the year – for the second consecutive season.
We remind you that in the third round of the Europa League, Omonia will face Flora Tallinn and Anorthosis will face Rapid Vienna, having the opportunity to qualify for a place in the groups of at least the Conference League, for the third round of which AEL faces Karabakh.
See how the ranking was formed and below the opponents that the teams of the countries we compete with will have in the next phase.
1 4 CROATIA 23,255
Dinamo Zagreb: Excluded Omonia, plays in the third round of the Champions League with Legia
Rijeka: Excludes Rijeka, plays third round Conference League with Hibernian
Osijek: Eliminates Pogon, plays third round Conference League with CSKA Sofia
Hajduk Split: Excluded from Tombol
15 SWITZERLAND 23,050
Young Boys: Eliminates Slovan Bratislava, plays third round of Champions League with Cluj
Basel: Eliminate Partizani, play third round Conference League with Wipest
Lucerne: Starts with the third round of the Conference League with Feyenoord
Servet: Excluded by Molde
17 CZECH REP. 21,900
Slavia Prague: Starts with the third round of the Champions League with Ferencvaros
Sparta Prague: Excludes Rapid Vienna, plays third round of Champions League with Monaco
Jablonec: Starts in the third round of the Europa League with Celtic
Plzen: Eliminated Dinamo Brest, plays third round Conference League with The New Saints
Slovakia: Excluded by Lokomotiv Plovdiv
18 TURKEY 21,600
Besiktas: Champions League groups.
Galatasaray: Eliminated in the Champions League by PSV, plays in the third round of the Europa League with St. Johnston
Fenerbahce: Starts from the Europa League playoffs
Sivasspor: Eliminated Petrokumb, plays third round Conference League with Dinamo Batumi
Trabzonspor: Starts with the third round of the Conference League with Molde
19 GREECE 21.200
Olympiacos: Excluded Neftsi, plays in the third round of the Champions League with Ludogorets
PAOK: It starts from the third round of the Conference League with Bohemians
Mars: Excluded from Astana
AEK: Excluded by Velez
20 NORWAY 21.125
Bodo Glimt: Excludes Valor, plays third round Conference League with Pristina
Rosenborg: Excluded Hafnafjordur, playing in the Conference League round with Domzale.
Molde: Excludes Servet, plays third round Conference League with Trabzonspor
Valerenga: Excluded from Ghent
THIS IS HOW THE POINTS ARE GIVEN
We remind you that countries get the points earned by their teams divided by the number of their initial representatives in Europe, so Cyprus will divide this year by four (next year by five). In the qualifiers, we get 250 for each win (1,000) and 125 for each draw (500), while in the groups our country will get 500 for each win (2,000) and 250 for each draw (1,000). Admission to the Champions League groups is rewarded with 4,000 points (the country gets 800 or 1,000 depending on the number of representatives).
