Third win in the fourth game Lugano puts Gent in their place - and lets Croci-Torti go crazy

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.

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FC Lugano

Completed

2:0

(1:0)

KAA Gent

• Hicham Mahou - 1:0 (6.)
• Ousmane Doumbia - 2:0 (86.)

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86.

Doumbia scores for Lugano - the decider?

68.

Saipi is wide awake and keeps his box clean

38.

Vladi almost scores

25.

Gent sniff at an equalizer

6.

Mahou gives Lugano an early lead

0.

Why the Stockhorn Arena gives Renato Steffen wings

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.

90.+5.
End of 2nd half
90.
Substitution in FC Lugano
Daniel Dos Santos
Midfielder
90.
Substitution out FC Lugano
Uran Bislimi
Midfielder
90.
Substitution in FC Lugano

Lars Lukas Mai
Defender
90.
Substitution out FC Lugano

Renato Steffen
Midfielder
87.
Substitution in KAA Gent

Archie Brown
Defender
87.
Substitution out KAA Gent

Matisse Samoise
Defender
86.
Goal for FC Lugano, 2:0 through Ousmane Doumbia (Uran Bislimi)
Ousmane Doumbia
Midfielder
Assist: Uran Bislimi
Midfielder
80.
Yellow card KAA Gent
Max Dean
77.
Substitution in KAA Gent

Max Dean
Striker
77.
Substitution out KAA Gent

Momodou Lamin Sonko
Striker
75.
Yellow card KAA Gent
Tsuyoshi Watanabe
73.
Yellow card FC Lugano
Uran Bislimi
71.
Substitution in FC Lugano
Ousmane Doumbia
Midfielder
71.
Substitution out FC Lugano
Hadj Mahmoud
Midfielder
71.
Substitution in FC Lugano
Yanis Cimignani
Midfielder
71.
Substitution out FC Lugano

Hicham Mahou
Midfielder
71.
Yellow card FC Lugano
Hicham Mahou
69.
Yellow card FC Lugano
Amir Saipi
66.
Substitution in KAA Gent
Helio Varela
Striker
66.
Substitution out KAA Gent

Franck Surdez
Striker
66.
Substitution in KAA Gent

Omri Gandelman
Midfielder
66.
Substitution out KAA Gent

Sven Kums
Midfielder
63.
Substitution in FC Lugano

Kacper Przybylko
Striker
63.
Substitution out FC Lugano
Shkelqim Vladi
Striker
59.
Yellow card FC Lugano
Milton Valenzuela
49.
Yellow card KAA Gent
Jordan Torunarigha
46.
Kick-off 2nd half
45.+2.
End of 1st half
31.
Yellow card KAA Gent
Andri Gudjohnsen
6.
Goal for FC Lugano, 1:0 through Hicham Mahou (Shkelqim Vladi)

Hicham Mahou
Midfielder
Assist: Shkelqim Vladi
Striker
1.
Start of the match

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