APOEL have repeat resistance in mind

Having secured a goalless draw at Club Atlético de Madrid in their first UEFA Champions League away game, APOEL FC will be hoping for another display of resistance and nerve when they return to the Iberia to face FC Porto in Group D.

• Porto bounced back from their 1-0 opening loss at Chelsea FC by downing Atlético 2-0 at home on Matchday 2. That lifted them to second in the section ahead of third-placed APOEL, who were beaten 1-0 at home by leaders Chelsea last time out.

Match background
• This will be the first time the teams have met in a competitive fixture and the first time Porto have encountered opposition from Cyprus.

• APOEL will not recall their only previous visit to Portugal with any relish as it ended in a 16-1 defeat at Sporting Clube de Portugal in the 1963/64 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup first round – this remains a record loss for any side in UEFA club competition. It was followed by a 2-0 reverse at home.

• No senior side from Cyprus has ever beaten or even drawn with Portuguese opposition at club or international level.

Team ties
• The game represents a homecoming for three Portuguese members of the APOEL squad. Nuno Morais started his career with FC Penafiel in Portugal's second division and during a three-year period at Chelsea spent 2005/06 on loan at CS Marítimo. Paulo Jorge began his professional career with SC Braga in 2002 and remained there until joining APOEL this year, while Hélio Pinto was a youth player with SL Benfica. Of the trio, only Pinto did not face Porto during his time in Portugal.

• Jean Paulista spent seven seasons in Portugal between 1998 and 2005, turning out for SC Farense, Braga, CD Aves, Vitória FC and FC Maia.

• Marcin Żewłakow came on as a 56th-minute substitute for Poland in a 4-0 defeat by Portugal in a 2002 FIFA World Cup group-stage match in Jeonju, South Korea.

• Altin Haxhi played for Albania in a 2-0 defeat by Portugal in a 1998 World Cup qualifying tie held at Porto's former Estádio das Antas home.

• Fernando Belluschi was at Olympiacos FC when the Greek club were knocked out of last season's UEFA Champions League by Cypriot side Anorthosis Famagusta FC in the third qualifying round. He scored the winner in the home leg, but his side lost 3-1 on aggregate.

• Now at Anorthosis Famagusta FC, former Porto midfielder Ricardo Fernandes was a cult hero at APOEL from 2005 to 2008.

• Daniel Kenedy is another former Porto player who appeared for APOEL, representing the Cypriot side from 2005 to 2006.