AEK Larnaca beat Nea Salamina 2:1 in a club friendly on 27 September 2026, extending a pattern of results between the two Cypriot sides that has been difficult for the visitors to reverse. To be fair, the scoreline tells only part of the story when you consider how these teams have been faring in their recent fixtures.
And here's the thing about friendlies — they rarely carry the weight of league matches, yet the results still accumulate. This was the second meeting between the two sides in as many weeks, following AEK's 4:1 victory on 6 September. By then, the shape of things was already becoming clear.
AEK's form has been mixed. They picked up a 2:1 win against Omonia on 18 September after losing 0:1 to Paphos three days earlier, and before that came the emphatic 4:1 victory over Nea Salamina. The away end never stopped, but the defensive lapses that cost them against Paphos are the sort of things that get corrected in training.
Nea Salamina came into this match with a 3:0 win over Anorthosis on 19 September, but that followed a 1:2 defeat to AEL on 11 September. The goal difference from their five recent games shows they have been capable on their day, but consistency remains the question.
The result leaves AEK with two wins and a draw from their last five friendlies, while Nea Salamina have one win, one draw, and three losses. The table goes out of the window in these games, but the pattern of results is worth noting when the season starts.
