FC Lugano have all but secured their place in the Conference League for the winter. The Ticino side celebrated their third win in four games with a 2-0 victory at home to Belgian side Gent in Thun.
Three weeks after the minor debacle in Backa Topola, Serbia (1:4), FC Lugano showed a different face. Right from the start, the Super League runners-up were ready for the duels and played with great intensity. The score was 1-0 after just six minutes following a precise attack over just three stations, which Hicham Mahou finished off successfully.
Ghent, with Swiss U21 international Franck Surdez playing for a good hour, got into the game better after the break and became a threat to the Ticino side in the last 20 minutes or so. Lugano keeper Amir Saipi had to intervene several times. The most dicey moment came when the Israeli Omri Gandelman was perfectly launched and was able to finish alone in front of Saipi. However, his shot was too central. Lugano survived the final phase of pressure from the Belgians, who are sixth in the domestic league, without suffering any damage and made it all clear with Ousmane Doumbia's 2:0 in the 86th minute.
All the lights are now green for Mattia Croci-Torti's team as far as progression is concerned. Lugano's last two games will be against Legia Warsaw, who have yet to concede a point, and the Cypriots from Paphos. A place in the top 8 and thus a direct place in the round of 16 is within the realms of possibility.
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Lugano - Gent 2:0 (1:0)
Thun. - 2672 spectators. - SR Jorgji (ALB). - Goals: 6. Mahou 1:0. 86. Doumbia 2:0.
Lugano: Saipi; Zanotti, Papadopoulos, El Wafi, Valenzuela; Grgic, Mahmoud (71. Doumbia); Steffen (91. Mai), Bislimi (91. Dos Santos), Mahou (71. Cimignani); Vladi (63. Przybylko).
Ghent: Schmidt; Samoise (87. Brown), Watanabe, Trunarigha, Araujo; Delorge-Knieper, Ito, Kums (66. Gandelman); Surdez (66. Varela), Gudjohnsen, Sonko (77. Dean).
Remarks: Lugano without Bottani and Hajdari (both suspended). Cautions: 31st Gudjohnsen. 49th Torunarigha. 60th Valenzuela. 69th Saipi. 71st Mahou. 73rd Bislimi. 75th Watanabe. 80th Dean.
The video ticker
FC Lugano
KAA Gent
- Hicham Mahou - 1:0 (6.)
- Ousmane Doumbia - 2:0 (86.)
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Liveticker
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Liveticker closed
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86.
Doumbia scores for Lugano - the decider?
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68.
Saipi is wide awake and keeps his box clean
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38.
Vladi almost scores
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25.
Gent sniff at an equalizer
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6.
Mahou gives Lugano an early lead
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0.
Why the Stockhorn Arena gives Renato Steffen wings
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0.
Forte on Surdez: "Seni limit upwards is open"
Under-21 international Franck Surdez has been playing for KAA Gent in Belgium since the start of the year. Uli Forte, Surdez's former coach at Xamax, talks to blue Sport about the attacking player.
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90.+5.End of 2nd half
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90.Substitution in FC Lugano
Daniel Dos Santos
Midfielder
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90.Substitution out FC Lugano
Uran Bislimi
Midfielder
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90.Substitution in FC Lugano
Lars Lukas Mai
Defender
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90.Substitution out FC Lugano
Renato Steffen
Midfielder
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87.Substitution in KAA Gent
Archie Brown
Defender
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87.Substitution out KAA Gent
Matisse Samoise
Defender
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86.Goal for FC Lugano, 2:0 through Ousmane Doumbia (Uran Bislimi)
Ousmane Doumbia
Midfielder
Assist: Uran Bislimi
Midfielder
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80.Yellow card KAA Gent
Max Dean
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77.Substitution in KAA Gent
Max Dean
Striker
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77.Substitution out KAA Gent
Momodou Lamin Sonko
Striker
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75.Yellow card KAA Gent
Tsuyoshi Watanabe
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73.Yellow card FC Lugano
Uran Bislimi
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71.Substitution in FC Lugano
Ousmane Doumbia
Midfielder
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71.Substitution out FC Lugano
Hadj Mahmoud
Midfielder
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71.Substitution in FC Lugano
Yanis Cimignani
Midfielder
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71.Substitution out FC Lugano
Hicham Mahou
Midfielder
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71.Yellow card FC Lugano
Hicham Mahou
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69.Yellow card FC Lugano
Amir Saipi
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66.Substitution in KAA Gent
Helio Varela
Striker
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66.Substitution out KAA Gent
Franck Surdez
Striker
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66.Substitution in KAA Gent
Omri Gandelman
Midfielder
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66.Substitution out KAA Gent
Sven Kums
Midfielder
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63.Substitution in FC Lugano
Kacper Przybylko
Striker
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63.Substitution out FC Lugano
Shkelqim Vladi
Striker
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59.Yellow card FC Lugano
Milton Valenzuela
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49.Yellow card KAA Gent
Jordan Torunarigha
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46.Kick-off 2nd half
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45.+2.End of 1st half
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31.Yellow card KAA Gent
Andri Gudjohnsen
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6.Goal for FC Lugano, 1:0 through Hicham Mahou (Shkelqim Vladi)
Hicham Mahou
Midfielder
Assist: Shkelqim Vladi
Striker
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1.Start of the match
