Lugano finished the Super League championship in fourth place and won the right to participate in the Conference or Europa League preliminaries in July. The decisive point came at the end of a good performance against YB. Match in which Croci-Torti's team, in addition to scoring a goal, scored two others (nullified for millimeter offsides) and hit a goalpost.
IN HUES OF BLACK AND WHITE
The first half was a clear HCL brand. YB had to defend itself against the attacks of Aliseda and his teammates who often came near or inside the Gallon area, Already in the first minutes Koutsias had two chances but failed to get past the visiting goalkeeper. From the half-hour mark for about ten minutes the onslaught became drumming. There were at least six conclusions to the Lugano net but without falling for the lead. There were shots by Aliseda (high), Dos Santos (to the side) Bislimi (parried), again Dos Santos blocked by Keller and then a header by Koutsias that the Bernese goalkeeper deflected from under the crossbar. Very close to scoring the hosts went to the 40′ mark when Aliseda, having avoided two opponents, kicked a right-footed shot: the ball hit the post to Keller now out of action.
ONE GOAL EACH
The missed goal in the first part of the match came at the start of the second half. On the right axis with Zanotti who triggered Papadopulos who made a cross-shot on which Koutisias projected himself and deflected it under the crossbar. On the half-hour mark, the defending champions equalized with a shot by Hadjam that slotted into the crossbar. The Bianconeri were not satisfied with the equalizer and continued to attack, scoring first with an own goal on Macek's cross (goal nullified due to an offside position of the same Czech midfielder) and then with Koutsias' header on Grgic's free kick but again the assistant flagged an irregular position and VAR confirmed.
HONORED THE SIX STARTERS
The match ended amid applause. At the opening of the evening the HCL managers paid tribute to the five players who will leave Ticino: Aliseda, Valenzuela, Macek, Przybylko and Babic. Now the team will take a few weeks off waiting to resume preparation on June 23 and then face the new league and the Conference or Europa League preliminaries depending on whether or not Basel wins the Swiss Cup final.
TABLE: Lugano-Young Boys 1-1 (0-0)
NETWORK: 47′ Koutsias, 63′ Hadjam
SPECTATORS: 4,062
ADMITTED: Papadopulos.
LUGANO: Saipi, Zanotti (82′ Zanotti), Papadopulos, Mai, Hajdari, Valenzuela, Grgic, Dos Santos (72′ Macek), Bislimi, Aliseda (72′ Mahou), Koutsias (82′ Vladi). Unavailable: Belhadj, Bottani (injured) and Marques (disqualified).
ARBITRO: Sandro Schärer
