AEK Larnaca saw off Apollon 83:79 in their Division A clash on Sunday. The hosts held their nerve after a shaky start, and it was enough to take all three points from the opening round. One of those games where the margin feels wider than the performance would suggest.
And here's the thing — I had this one flagged at 71 per cent before kickoff. Home advantage against an Apollon side that has struggled to close out games lately. Not that it matters much now, but the prediction came through. They felt the pressure early and paid for a sloppy opening, then found a rhythm.
Apollon had been around these parts before. Four meetings across April and May, with the visitors taking two and the home side two. This time the pattern held. They camped in the final third for stretches, but the old head settled them down when things got tight.
Both teams sit on zero points after one game, which tells you nothing except the season has just begun. AEK Larnaca came in off a heavy 94:80 loss to Dzik Warsaw, so this was a chance to reset. Apollon had beaten AEЛ 80:73 on their last outing. Neither side looked like they were playing with anything to prove.
The goal difference shifts slightly, but the table remains fluid. What matters is the momentum — or lack of it. AEK Larnaca turned to the kids after the first quarter, and it worked. Apollon had nothing to do all evening in the second period, then found themselves chasing.
By then the game was effectively over. Not a spectacle, not tense — just a match decided by three or four moments. The rest was background noise. AEK Larnaca keep their clean sheet in the standings, and Apollon have work to do before they can call this anything but a narrow escape.
