The Cypriot Cup once again showcased an intense encounter between Nea Salamina Famagusta FC and APOEL, with both sides coming out goalless after 90 minutes. The game was clearly a defensive battle with neither side able to break through the opponent's defenses to find the back of the net.

Unusually for this competition, there were less goal chances with the home team registering only one corner kick throughout the match, compared to APOEL's five. Such statistical data suggests that APOEL dominated match possession and threatening areas of play more than Nea Salamina did, which would usually correlate to a greater number of goal-scoring opportunities. Nonetheless, this was not reflected in the scoring line, indicating that APOEL's finishing and execution in the final third of the field was not up to their usual standard or Nea Salamina's resilience in defending was particularly exceptional.

The match also emerged as a physically aggressive encounter with three yellow cards in total—two issued to Nea Salamina and one to APOEL. Two of these were dished out in the second half within just a span of five minutes, roughly from the 45th to the 50th minute. This painted a picture of rising tensions and high stakes prompting more physicality and less tactical discipline from both sides, traits usually associated with tightly contested games with thin margins for error.

Another crucial turning point of the match was undoubtedly the red card for APOEL. The reduction to ten men would have expectedly shifted the pace, momentum, strategy, and balance of power within the match. The statistical data provided does not specify when this red card was issued, but it would be a safe assumption that it unprecedentedly placed APOEL in a defensive and cautious stance with one less player to contribute to their attack. Nevertheless, Nea Salamina were unable to capitalize on this advantage to score, once again endorsing the extraordinary defensive nature of this match.

Therefore, the most significant factors affecting the match outcome were indeed APOEL's lack of clinical finishing despite superior possession, Nea Salamina's outstanding defending, and the pivotal moment of the red card reducing APOEL to ten men. While the match ended in a draw, the defensive resilience of both teams was undoubtedly the standout aspect of this game.

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