Apollon Limassol vs Dila

Apollon carried a commanding 4-0 lead from the first leg in Gori and never looked like surrendering it. Brandon Thomas settled any early nerves in the 22nd minute, turning home from close range after Dila failed to clear a corner. The Georgian side's best chance came before half-time but M. Kanté could not find a finish to reduce the deficit.

The Cypriots doubled their lead 17 minutes into the second half. I. Ljubic slipped a pass through to Garry Rodrigues, who had only been on the pitch six minutes after replacing Thomas at the interval, and the Cape Verdean winger finished calmly past D. Kereselidze.

Dani Escriche, who had been booked early in the first half (17'), capped the scoring in the second minute of stoppage time. Bruno Gaspar's cross found the Spaniard, and his finish made it 3-0 on the night, 7-0 on aggregate.

Rodrigues' 62nd-minute goal, scored just six minutes after his introduction at half-time, effectively killed any faint hope Dila had of mounting a miraculous comeback. The substitute's immediate impact demonstrated Apollon's depth — manager Pablo Machín used all five substitutions, introducing fresh legs that maintained the intensity.

Garry Rodrigues (Apollon Limassol) — Player of the Match. The former Galatasaray winger scored within six minutes of coming on at half-time and provided the assist that led to Brandon Thomas' substitution. His pace and direct running stretched a tiring Dila defence.

Brandon Thomas (Apollon Limassol) — Opened the scoring with a well-taken 22nd-minute finish and stretched Dila's backline throughout the first half before being withdrawn at the break.

Dani Escriche (Apollon Limassol) — Scored the late third and was a constant threat despite an early yellow card. His work rate in pressing Dila's build-up play disrupted the visitors' attempts to build any rhythm.

P. Leeuwenburgh (Apollon Limassol) — The Apollon goalkeeper was largely untroubled but commanded his area well, keeping a sixth consecutive clean sheet in European competition this season.

Apollon's 3-0 win and 7-0 aggregate scoreline tell a story of total dominance across 180 minutes. The Cypriot side didn't concede a single goal across both legs against a Dila team that had scored three in their first-round tie against Virtus (3-1 and 0-1). The shift in quality between the Georgian Erovnuli Liga and the Cypriot First Division was evident, with Apollon's greater European experience proving decisive.

The attendance of 5,332 at the 13,000-capacity Alphamega Stadium suggests modest local interest, perhaps reflecting the one-sided nature of the tie after the first leg.

Apollon Limassol advance to the UEFA Europa Conference League third qualifying round with a 7-0 aggregate victory. The draw for the next round will determine their opponent, with the first leg scheduled for early August 2026. Dila's European campaign ends at the second qualifying round stage, the same point at which they exited to Riga FC in 2025.

For Apollon, this continues a strong start to their 2026/27 European campaign. The Cypriot side have yet to concede a goal across four competitive matches this season (two Conference League ties, four matches).

A professional, no-nonsense performance from Apollon Limassol. The tie was effectively over after the first leg, but the Cypriot side showed no complacency, scoring three more and keeping a fourth consecutive clean sheet. Dila were outclassed at this level and will reflect on the gulf in quality between the two leagues. Apollon's depth — evidenced by Rodrigues' instant impact from the bench — bodes well for the next round.