KOLOSSI, Cyprus (Interstat) — Apollon defeated rival APOEL 4-2 in a Cyprus Cup match Wednesday at Alphamega Stadium, defying a pregame projection of a draw. Apollon took an early lead with Kostas Stafylidis scoring in the 10th minute, followed by Daniel Mancini in the 23rd. APOEL responded with two quick goals from Brandon and Pedro Marques to level the score before halftime. The match remained tied until the final minutes, when Peter Olayinka and Gustavo Assunção scored in the 86th and 88th minutes to secure the victory for the home side. Apollon begins its Cup campaign with a win, while APOEL starts with a loss. A statistical simulator had projected a 1-1 draw.