Anorthosis vs Olympiacos: Champions League qualifying

LGR - Wednesday 6th 2008f August 2008

The Cypriot champions Anorthosis had netted a 4-3 aggregate win over the Austrian opponents Rapid Vienna - and despite - losing 3-1 in Austria are through to the Third Round.

Dinamo Tbilisi 0-0 Panathinaikos (QUALIFY)
3-0 aggregate win (Panathinaikos)

Rapid Vienna 3-1 Anorthosis Famagusta
Anorthosis 4-3 aggregate win (3-0 in Antonis Papadopoulos)

The Cyprus champions will face the Greek giants Olympiacos in the Champions League Third Round. The next phase would be all that separates Temuri Ketsbaia's side from becoming the first Cypriot club to reach the group stage.

Greek international Traianos Dellas had made his competitive debut.

Anorthosis Famagusta FC are through to the UEFA Champions League third qualifying round after SK Rapid Vienna's second-leg win was not enough to overturn last week's 3-0 loss in Cyprus.

Vincent Laban struck after 13 minutes for the visitors to leave Rapid needing five goals to turn the tie, and although Erwin Hoffer equalised on the night and Stefan Maierhofer scored twice after half-time, Anorthosis always maintained the aggregate led. They will now take on Greek champions Olympiacos CFP for a place in the group stage having previously fallen against Rangers FC, Hertha BSC Berlin and K. Lierse SK at the last hurdle.

Cheered on by a crowd of 17,000 fans, Rapid took the game to Anorthosis from the start but the first goal came against the run of play when Laban rose high to head in Siniša Dobrašinović's cross with home keeper Gerhard Koch wrong-footed. Rapid kept up the charge, though, and their task became slightly less daunting when Hoffer reacted quickest to a 22nd-minute Veli Kavlak corner.

With only half an hour gone, Rapid coach Peter Pacul sent on attacking midfielder Christian Thonhofer for defender Andreas Dober and it almost paid off when captain Steffen Hofmann came close a few minutes later. However, it was not until past the hour mark that Rapid took the lead on the night, 17-year-old Christopher Drazan setting up Maierhofer and the same pair combined again four minutes later. Now Rapid were only two goals away, but Anorthosis proved equal to all the Austrian side had to offer and next week they will welcome Olympiacos.

Uefa.com Match report by Harald Saller from Vienna

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