AEL trounced Omonia 3-1 at home yesterday to clinch another three points and return to the top of the standings with 40 points – two points ahead of cross town rivals Apollon.
Third placed Ermis beat AEL Kouklia 1-0 away to make it 36 points, three more than Anorthosis who thrashed Doxa 6-1 on Saturday.
Playing before empty stands at the GSP yesterday APOEL defeated Nea Salamina 3-1, and is in fourth place with 34 points.
Apollon is second after beating Alki 2-1 while AEK defeated Paralimni 1-0. Ethnikos take on Achna today.
The weekend’s big game was in Limassol where title contenders AEL scored in the 34th, 50th and 89th (penalty) to clinch the three points.
Omonia was able to pull one back in the 62nd minute, but the Nicosia side was unable to make much of an impact.
A tragic mistake by Omonia’s Alabi in the 34th minute when he tried to head the ball back to his keeper gave Monteiro the golden chance to net the first goal for the Limassol side.
AEL doubled their goals in the second half with Kaloutzerovic on the 50th. Omonia’s Gigievic pulled one back in the 62nd. AEL were able to seal their victory with a penalty in the 88nd.
In Nicosia APOEL was able to score three in half an hour, before shifting down a gear in anticipation of their cup game against AEL this week.
Mantouka scored from a free kick on the 29th, while Sandin made it two in the 35th with his first goal for the Nicosia side. Benasour scored the third in the 48th.
Nea Salamina battled valiantly and were able to score in with Roque in the 63rd and had four or five more chances.
Ermis went to Paphos in a determined mood and came back with three points thanks to an early goal by Andreas Constantinou in the third minute. The win keeps them in third place.
Cyprus Weekly