The Champions League dream for Renova ended only after one game. Renova will need a real miracle to overcome the 3:0 lead that the champion of Cyprus, Omonia made it in Nicosia.
A good football lesson was given to Renova by the Cypriot team Omonia, champion of Cyprus in front of a nearly full stadium and fantastic support by the home fans. The Macedonians had to play with 10 players since the very beginning of the game, made only one chance and strugled not to be beaten with a bigger result.
Only 7 minutes Renova had the good result of 0:0. In the 6th minute the Czech referee made the right decision when he showed on the penalty spot after Darko Ignjatovski pulled Michalis Konstantinou in the box. But, seems like showing Ignjatovski a direct red card was a bit harsh. The same player that was fouled, Konstantinou, converted the penalty and the Cypriot club took the lead, while the Macedonian champion had to continue the game with 10 men. In the 28th minute, after a good action in the Renova box, Brazilian international Davidson de Oliveira Morais scored for 2:0, a result with which the first half ended.
In the second half Omonia continued to attack and scored a third goal in the 62nd minute. Brazilian born, but former Hungarian national team player Leandro Marcolini Pedroso de Almeida, gave a good ball from the left and Konstantinou with a header scored his second goal in the game, third for his team that happened to be the final score.
The return leg will be played on 20th of July at the National Arena Philip II of Macedon in Skopje.
Nicosia: Omonia – Renova : (2:0)
Scorers: Konstantinou 7’ pen., 62′, Davidson Morais 28’
Referee: Libor Kovařík (Czech)
Omonia: Georgallides (gk), Davidson Morais, Wenzel, Leandro, Spungin (Efrem 46’), Karipidis, Kaseke, Grammozis (Panagi 83′), Makrides, Aloneftis (c) (Espasandín 80′), Konstantinou64′. Manager: Takis Lemonis.
Renova: Elezi (gk), Statovci74′, Stojanov, Stepanovski, Ignjatovski, Gashi
35′, Emini (c) (Gafuri 81′), Nuhi, Bajrami (Fetai 67′), Memedi
69′, Ali
87′ (Jancevski 90′). Manager: Nedzat Sabani.