LIMASSOL, Cyprus (Interstat) — Aris scored twice in a three-minute span during the first half and added a third goal after the break to beat AEL Limassol 3-1 in a competitive match. Veljko Nikolic opened the scoring in the 23rd minute, and Rody Junior Effaghe doubled the lead in the 25th. Aris took that 2-0 advantage into halftime and extended it when Gustavo Paje scored in the 63rd minute. AEL Limassol got its lone goal from Stevan Jovetic, but the home side could not close the gap. Aris finished with three goals total, while AEL Limassol scored once.

The first-half burst gave Aris a 2-0 lead. Nikolic’s 23rd-minute goal gave Aris the lead, and Effaghe struck two minutes later to turn the match quickly. That sequence forced AEL Limassol to chase the game from the first half onward, and the hosts had to manage the remainder of the opening period while trying to find a response. Paje’s 63rd-minute finish gave Aris a third goal and restored a comfortable margin after AEL Limassol had tried to respond. Jovetic scored for AEL Limassol and was one of the home side’s most involved players, but Aris kept the hosts from building a comeback. Effaghe, Jovetic and Nikolic each finished with one goal while playing 90 minutes, and Paje scored during a 30-minute appearance. Effaghe’s goal came during the decisive first-half stretch, while Nikolic’s opener set the tone. Jovetic’s goal accounted for AEL Limassol’s only scoring, and Paje’s second-half finish helped Aris protect its advantage.

Aris improved to 2 wins, no losses and 1 draw in this competition. The club is 3 wins, 1 loss and 1 draw across all competitions. AEL Limassol is 2 wins and 1 loss in the competition and 2 wins and 1 loss across all competitions. AEL Limassol entered after a 2-0 win at Omonia Aradippou and a 2-1 win over Omonia 29th May. Aris entered after a 1-1 draw with AEK Larnaca, a 4-0 win over Achnas, a 2-1 win at Ol. Nicosia and a 2-1 loss to Riga FC. The result gave Aris the away victory despite AEL Limassol’s home advantage. Aris’s overall record now includes three wins, one loss and one draw, while AEL Limassol’s overall mark stands at two wins and one loss. The competition record leaves Aris with one draw and no losses, while AEL Limassol has one loss in the competition. Aris also holds a winning overall record.

Yellow cards were issued to Singh in first-half stoppage time, Anderson Correia in the 47th minute, Tavares in the 68th, Antoniou in the 77th and Lelle in the 80th. Aris made substitutions in the 60th and 74th minutes. AEL Limassol made changes in the 61st, 69th and 81st minutes. The match included five yellow cards and seven substitutions, with AEL Limassol making a series of second-half changes as it sought to get back into the game. Aris managed the closing stages and kept AEL Limassol from adding a second goal. The disciplinary sequence began late in the first half when Singh was booked in stoppage time, and it continued early in the second half when Anderson Correia received a yellow card. Tavares, Antoniou and Lelle were also booked as the match grew more physical in the second half.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of AEL Limassol 2, Aris 0. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Aris with a 87.1 percent probability to win. Aris had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -0.5. The total score of 4 went under the over/under line of 2.5.