Plucky Cypriot history men APOEL hope to defy the odds against Spanish giants Real Madrid in tonight's Champions League clash to prove the romance of the cup is still alive.


Nectarios

Although APOEL versus Real is not a traditional glamour tie, it does sum up the David-and-Goliath essence of cup competitions where the unexpected can happen.

For so long the competition has been criticised for its domination of Europe's elite and wealthy but the Cypriot champions, who were formed in a sweet shop 85 years ago, are now bucking the trend. "We will respect Real and make a huge effort to match them on the pitch.

We are all waiting to face the best team in the world," Cypriot midfielder Nectarios Alexandrou told APOEL's website.