KOLOSSI, Cyprus (Interstat) — Aris defeated Achnas 4-0 Wednesday at Alphamega Stadium, scoring twice in each half and controlling the match from the opening stages. The home side finished with four different goal scorers, while Achnas was held scoreless in the competition matchup. Aris never trailed after taking the lead in the 10th minute. The victory gave Aris a 1-0 record in the competition and a 2-1 record across all competitions, while Achnas fell to 0-1 in the competition and 1-1 overall.

Aris opened the scoring in the 10th minute when Oriyomi Lebi found the net. Lebi played the full match. The goal set the tone for Aris, which continued to press and created enough chances to extend its lead before halftime. Gustavo Paje made it 2-0 in the 37th minute, giving Aris a comfortable advantage at the break. Paje also went the distance. Aris carried a two-goal lead into halftime and had scored in each half by the final whistle.

After halftime, Aris kept its shape and added to the lead in the 57th minute through Werton. Werton’s goal made it 3-0 and further reduced any hope of an Achnas comeback. Werton played all 90 minutes. Achnas, meanwhile, struggled to generate a consistent threat and was held scoreless. Charalampos Charalampous completed the scoring in the 86th minute, capping the home side’s win. Charalampous also played the full match.

Aris’s victory improved its record in the competition to 1-0 and its overall record to 2-1. The result gave Aris a clean start in the competition and followed a strong recent run across all competitions. Earlier this season, Aris won 2-1 at Ol. Nicosia and lost 1-2 to Riga FC at home. The win over Achnas added another positive result to that stretch and kept Aris unbeaten in the competition. Aris has now won two of its first three matches across all competitions.

Achnas dropped to 0-1 in the competition and 1-1 across all competitions. The visitors had entered the match after a 5-0 win at M.E.A.P. Nisou earlier this season, but they were unable to carry that attacking form into the match. Achnas managed to keep the match within reach for parts of the first half, but Aris’s second goal before the break and third early in the second half put the game firmly in the home side’s favor. Achnas could not recover once Aris built a three-goal cushion.

The match was played at Alphamega Stadium in Kolossi. Aris, the home team, scored four goals, while Achnas, the visiting team, was held scoreless. The home side also kept Achnas off the scoreboard for the full match. The result gave Aris the home victory and left Achnas seeking a response.

Achnas is next scheduled to host Apea Akrotiriou in Division 2 play. The club will look to regroup after the loss and return to the form it showed in its previous victory. Aris, meanwhile, will carry momentum from the win as it moves forward in the competition and overall schedule. The victory also gave Aris a 1-0 competition record and a 2-1 overall mark, while Achnas fell to 0-1 in the competition and 1-1 overall.

Key performances for Aris came from Lebi, Paje, Werton and Charalampous, each of whom scored and played the full 90 minutes. Lebi’s 10th-minute goal was the first breakthrough. Paje doubled the lead in the 37th. Werton added the third in the 57th. Charalampous closed the scoring in the 86th. The four scorers accounted for all of Aris’s goals, and Achnas was unable to answer.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Aris 1, Achnas 0. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Aris with a 92.6 percent probability to win. Aris had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -2. The total score of 4 went under the over/under line of 3.5.