As part of the 26th round of the Hoval Promotion League, Lugano U21 achieved a key victory at home, defeating Grand Saconnex by a clear 3-0 (2-0).
SEVERAL ABSENCES DUE TO INJURY
The match that opens the April hostilities is acquitted on the HCL side without the contribution of the injured Johann Angstmann, Boris Babić, Giovanni D'Agostino and Dion Dermaku. For the important appointment, coach Andrea Vitali can only have young elements on the bench. The only "out-of-quota" is captain Andrea Maccoppi, who is ready to direct his teammates with his usual grit and charge, two particular factors that have never failed during his long and fruitful football career.
DOMINANCE ACROSS THE BOARD FROM THE FIRST MOMENT
That the young HCL players intended to conquer success was clear from the kickoff. Already after a couple of laps of the needle it could change the course of the match, but match director Markus Schelb judges a tripping of Enzo Adeagbo on Niccolò Spinelli on the edge of the penalty area as not punishable. Amid general surprise and some understandable protests, play continued with the hosts ready to joust consistently on the offensive. A throw-in by Luca Molino for Spinelli resulted in a shot that was just high, while the next attempt by David Piffero was central.
THE SEAL OF "10" AT THE MINUTE... 10
Normally, in the world of soccer, those who wear the number 10 jersey do so for a specific reason. The Lugano U21 team is no exception, as it is Spinelli who plays the role of the main protagonist after ten minutes. Assisted by some great preparatory work by Gianluca Pizzagalli, the 20-year-old took possession of the ball, controlled it, and fired a winning low right-footed shot into the second post. The point of the deserved lead does not clip the hosts' wings. On the contrary. The manvora is even more fluid and chances are flowing in at regular intervals. A Piffero cross misses Spinelli by a matter of inches, and the same center forward fails to frame the mirror from a favorable position a little later.
"COOLING BREAK", GOAL CANCELLED AND DOUBLED.
The high temperatures recorded in Canobbio forced the referee to stop the game at minute twenty-six to allow the players to cool down. After the "cooling break" it is Elmedin Avdić who tries to disturb Fotis Pseftis without succeeding in the operation. On the opposite side, a combination between Piffero and Ilija Maslarov sends the latter into the net. The joy is ephemeral, however, as the signal for an offside position is quickly triggered. The second goal is not long in coming, however. We are at the forty-third minute and a splendid action started by Luca Molino and continued by Spinelli allows Yassin Sbai - very skillful in wedging himself in the area - to register the double thanks to a stretch with his left foot to anticipate goalkeeper and defender. Towards the end of the fraction, the tris could also be observed, but Sbai himself failed to distribute the ball into the back of the net following an interesting variation on a free kick.
SLIGHT ROMANIAN REACTION AND PENALTY DENIED
The double substitution made by Jean-Michel Aeby (former coach of, among others, Bellinzona) tries to give additional vigor to the newly promoted team's maneuver. In the short span of two minutes - between the fifty-first and fifty-third - Avdić gives Pseftis the shivers with a left-footer and a right-footer from the limit that end just wide. The guest reaction practically ends there, as it is always the Lugano players who come up with the best actions, and who are denied a penalty kick that appeared solar to most (evident push by Adeagbo, who had just been cautioned, on Spinelli) with nothing to go before the hour mark.
MORE OPPORTUNITIES AND TRIS AT THE LAST
Chances to pad the score were several. But neither Okafor's shot (bricked after a "one-two" with Sbai) nor Piffero's right-footed shot (ended up on the outside net after a smooth Adeagbo following a Maccoppi's counter throw) found the sought-after luck. Thus, after a fisted clearance by an alert Pseftis, Arbnor Gecaj took a throw-in at the 94th minute, the ball reached Felipe Ronchetti who assisted Dominik Lechner with precision. The Austrian outfielder from the Salzburg school dribbles past André Pinheiro and inserts into an unguarded goal, opening the celebration for his sixth full joy of the season.
YOU MOVE UP A NOTCH IN THE RANKINGS
The ranking, at least in the lower parts, remains indecipherable and full of overtakes and counter-overtakes. Thanks to these three points, Lugano U21 climbs one rank (from 18th to 17th), moving up to 25, the same as the Vaudois of Bavois (1-1 in Bulle and opponents in the direct clash in six days at the Maglio). The Aargavians of Baden - who fell at home 1-5 to Lucerne U21 - are the new "red lantern" one length behind. The Jurassians of Delémont, beaten 1-0 by Paradiso in the recoveries, for their part have only one point ahead of the HCL.
MIDWEEK SHIFT JUST AROUND THE CORNER
The challenge between Cham and Lugano U21 will take place on Wednesday, April 9, 2025 at 7:30 pm. On the Zug ground of the Eizmoos, the young HCL players will go in search of an encore and the second affirmation of the season over the Swiss-Central (already overcome last fall in Canobbio with a score of 3-1).
COACH VITALI'S ANALYSIS: 'SUPER-POSITIVE DAY'
"I am happy with the attitude of all the boys, starting with the starters and ending with those who took over as the game went on. To achieve our goals we need everyone. Beyond the results of the other teams fighting for salvation, the day is to be considered super-positive, since it opens a key-week, for which we will try to recover some elements recently affected by muscle pains. Against Geneva, we lost Milad Amirzade to injury, whom we will replace with teammates ready to lend a hand to the group. Now, given the tight schedule, we need to recover physical and mental energy in particular.".
FC LUGANO U21-FC GRAND-SACONNEX 3-0 (2-0)
Al Maglio Sports Center, 150 spectators.
Networks: 10′ Spinelli 1-0, 43′ Sbai 2-0, 94′ Lechner 3-0.
Admonished: 30′ Semedo, 32′ Avdić, 45′ Pizzagalli, 54′ Adeagbo.
FC Lugano U21: Pseftis; Gamba (74′ Gecaj), Shala, Molino; Pizzagalli (60′ Okafor), Maccoppi, Amirzade (41′ Morandi), Maslarov; Sbai, Spinelli (60′ Ronchetti); Piffero (74′ Lechner). Coach: Vitali.
FC Grand-Saconnex: Pinheiro; Perracino, Adeagbo, Mafuta (63′ Kahumba), Semedo; Baddy Dega, Avdić (46′ Regillo), Mensah (63′ Nsakala), Rahimi; Pédat (46′ Kali), Sghaier (71′ Gonçalves). Coach: Aeby.
Referee: Schelb. Assistants: Bonjour and Jurčević.
