Cypriot champions APOEL were last night held to a 1-1 draw by Champions League third qualifying round visitors Maribor and will now have it all to do in the return leg next week in Slovenia.
Esmael Goncalves scored for the home side in the 21st minute with Tavares netting for Maribor in the 64th.
Apoel had two penalty appeals turned down.
Under former coach Ivan Jovanovic, APOEL made history two seasons ago when they became the first and only Cypriot side to reach the quarterfinals of the Champions League. His replacement, Portuguese boss Paulo Sergio, has brought in seven new faces in the summer while several key players like Helio Pinto, Alexandros Tzorvas and Christos Karipides have exited the club.
The return leg will take place at the 13,000-seater Ljudski VRT Stadium in Maribor on Tuesday.
Cyprus Weekly
