"We need to take the lead and come back with the three points," coach Mattia Croci-Torti had declared on the eve of the match. And the team executed the task. With one goal per half, Lugano beat Yverdon and relaunched itself after the home defeat against Servette. An important and not obvious statement: Yverdon in 2025 had never lost at home.
GRGIC FROM THE PENALTY SPOT
The strong wind bothered the players of both teams who struggled from the start to build actions worthy of the name. So much so that the two goalkeepers were never engaged until the half-hour mark. A Steffen free kick triggered Koutsias whose first shot was blocked by a defender and the second by goalkeeper Bernardoni. The ball fell back a few meters from the goal and Papadopulos who had ventured to kick was landed by Tijani. Sacrosanct penalty converted by specialist Grigic (on his seventh seal of the season from the penalty spot on seven shots).
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VLADI ENTERS AND STAMPS
In the second half, as had happened to Servette on Saturday in Cornaredo, the wind blew behind Lugano, which was favored defensively and could attack with more ease. Zanotti at 58′ tried for the cross with a left-footed shot that ended up high. Shortly afterward Bernardoni deflected a tricky Grgic free kick into a corner. Koutsias had a great chance with twenty minutes to go after a Tijani's smooth clearance: the Greek striker sought precision instead of power and the local goalkeeper instinctively pushed it away. This was the prelude to the HCL double. Vladi, who had just entered the field in place of Koutsias, headed in a beautiful center from Valenzuela (who had been triggered by Steffen). With his open foot the Kosovar-born striker managed to deflect the ball under the crossbar and sealed the contest.
SUNDAY IN BASEL
The refreshing victory on the freezing Vaud evening restores momentum and confidence to the HCL players, who have a very important game in Basel on Sunday afternoon. Every point in this season finale is crucial to the rankings and placements in the final rounds.
SCOREBOARD: YVERDON-LUGANO 0-2 (0-1)
NETWORK: 37'0 Grgic (penalty), 79′ Vladi
SPECTATORS: 2’040
ADMITTED: Céspedes and Vladi.
LUGANO: Saipi, Zanotti (88′ Brault-Guillard), Mai, Hajdari, Valenzuela, Papadopulos, Grgic, Steffen, Bislimi (88′ Marques), Macek (66′ Doumbia), Koutsias (73′ Vladi). Unavailable: Aliseda, Belhadj, Bottani, Dos Santos, Mahou.
ARBITRO: Mirel Turkes.
