As last week with Anorthosis, the same with AEL, Giannis Petrakis had the opportunity to read it, for the last time before Monday's derby. It was only a given that the team that would play against his own team would not be the same as yesterday's blue and yellow cup game with Nea Salamina.
It is a big bet for the Cretan coach and his players to “break the pomegranate” in a derby with AEL this season, since as is well known, Apollon suffered two defeats in the games of the regular season.
They were more bothered by the failure in the match three weeks ago, where they made a tragic appearance. Petrakis's chair had also “creaked” intensely, regardless of whether the administration avoided confirming the information about his possible release.
As we wrote yesterday, the 62-year-old coach gained many points with the appearance of the team, but also the management he did in the derby with “Kyria”. He knows, of course, that if the blue and whites do not manage to get a good result with AEL, then the instruments of the people's criticism of him will begin to sound again.
One absence, three returns
Giannis Petrakis will not count only the punished Gerrier in the Limassol derby. Vassilios, who was left out of the mission due to a minor injury problem in the game with Anorthosis, is a candidate for the left end of the defense. The other candidate is George Malekkidis. In the previous derby he had used Petros Psychas as a left back, but there is not one in a million to choose the same player on Monday night.
Saketi and Bensop, who were punished, return. It is considered a given that the Argentine will take a position on the midfield axis.
For the experienced midfielder, nothing new emerged as to whether they will give him the Cypriot passport. Considering last week's information that the new federal coach is Nikos Kostenoglou, he may “shout” at him in his first call.
