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. The Super League runners-up were ready for the duels right from the start 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.
Telegram and table:
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.
1. Chelsea 4/12 (18:3). 2. Legia Warsaw 4/12 (11:0). 3. Jagiellionia Bialystok 4/10 (10/4). 4. Rapid Vienna 4/10 (7:2). 5. Vitoria Guimarães 4/10 (8:4). 6. Heidenheim 4/9 (5:3). 7. Fiorentina 4/9 (10-6). 8. Lugano 4/9 (7:4). 9. Olimpija Ljubljana 4/9 (6:2). 10. Shamrock Rovers 4/8 (8:4). 11. Vikingur Reykjavik 4/7 (5-5). 12. Borac Banja Luka 4/7 (4-4). 13. Djurgarden Stockholm 4/7 (6:5). 14. APOEL Nicosia 4/7 (4-3). 15. Cercle Brugge 4/7 (9:5). 16. Pafos 4/6 (7:5). 17. Heart of Midlothian 4/6 (4:5). 18. Ghent 4/6 (5:7). 19. FC Copenhagen 4/5 (6-6). 20. Betis Sevilla 4/4 (4-5). 21. Astana 4/4 (2:4). 22. St. Gallen 4/4 (8:13). 23. TSC Backa Topola 4/4 (6:7). 24. Panathinaikos Athens 4/4 (4:7). 25. Noah Yerevan 4/4 (2:9). 26. Celje 4/4 (10:9). 27. Molde 4/3 (4:6). 27. Omonia Nicosia 4/3 (4:6). 29 The New Saints 4/3 (3:5). 30. Mlada Boleslav 4/3 (3:6). 31. HJK Helsinki 4/3 (1:6). 32nd Linzer ASK 4/2 (3:6). 33. Istanbul Basaksehir 4/2 (5:10). 34. Petrocub Hincesti 4/1 (2:10). 35 Dynamo Minsk 4/0 (2:9). 36 Larne 4/0 (2:10).
SDA
