New target cajoles APOEL and Atlético

Although APOEL FC and Club Atlético de Madrid are without a Group D win between them and out of UEFA Champions League contention, there is still plenty to play for when they meet in Nicosia. With two points to APOEL's one, the visitors know victory would seal a UEFA Europa League berth, but the Cypriot side impressed when holding Atlético in Spain on Matchday 1 and their coach Ivan Jovanović is relishing "a great opportunity to go even further".

Ivan Jovanović, APOEL coach
We want to win because my players deserve something for their tremendous effort so far. We need to be 100 per cent focused and cautious as we're playing against a very good side that are capable of winning games away from home. Atlético may be having some problems, but that doesn't hide the fact they are still a very good side. There are no secrets to this game and nothing can be hidden. All of our games in this competition have been tough. We have shown in our four games that we are also a good side and deserve to be here – now we have a great opportunity to go even further.

Quique Sánchez Flores, Atlético coach
Our aim is to improve with every game that we play, whether it is at home or in Europe. Every defeat for us has been a big blow but we have to remain optimistic and not let our heads drop. Like in all our games, we will be aiming to win against APOEL. They are dangerous opponents who are well organised and play quick counterattacking football. They have good players, especially in midfield, and we will need to be careful. In football, there is no such thing as a tragic situation; in football, there is only the result.

Weekend results
21/11/09 APOEL 2-0Anorthosis Famagusta FC
(Mirosavljević 71, Alexandrou 87)

• APOEL remain fifth after beating last season's UEFA Champions League qualifiers.

21/11/09 RC Deportivo La Coruña 2-1 Atlético 
(Colotto 21, Guardado 90+6pen; Agüero 3)

• Atlético lost to a penalty deep into added time following Pablo Ibáñez's foul on Alberto Lopo. Substitute Cléber Santana was then sent off for the visitors.

• Atlético have accrued seven points from their first eleven league games, their worst start to a Liga campaign since 1994/95 when they posted the same figures. At this stage of the 1999/2000 season they had accumulated 14 points, but were subsequently relegated.

Team news
APOEL
Out: Boban Grnčarov (calf), Adrian Sikora (knee), Altin Haxhi (calf)
Doubtful: Marcin Żewłakow (knee)
Suspended: none
Misses next match if booked: Marinos Satsias

Atlético
Out: Raúl García (ankle)
Doubtful: none
Suspended: Paulo Assunção
Misses next match if booked: none

Background
• Jovanović's side produced a disciplined defensive display at the Vicente Calderón to earn an unexpected 0-0 draw in September. They have since lost three times and are bottom of the section, a point behind Atlético who drew 2-2 with Chelsea FC on Matchday 4 in new coach Quique Flores's first match in the section.

• That Matchday 1 fixture was Atlético's first against a team from Cyprus in a competitive game while APOEL had previously played six games against Spanish opposition, drawing two and losing four.

Did you know?
Only two Spanish sides have ever lost in Cyprus. The national team lost a UEFA EURO 2000™ qualifier 3-2 in Larnaca while Athletic Club Bilbao went down 2-0 at Anorthosis Famagusta FC in the 1994/95 UEFA Cup first round.

For more information on the match in the official press kit, click here.