FC Lugano wins 2:1 against Winterthur in the 28th round of the Super League. For the Ticino side, the trembling victory is tantamount to a liberating blow.
Three defeats in the championship and the elimination in the Cup against third-tier Biel. Plus the knockout in the Conference League against Celje during the week. These are truly not easy weeks for Mattia Croci-Torti and his FC Lugano. A home win - even if it's only against the team at the bottom of the table - is a balm to the maltreated Ticino football soul.
In a long uneventful match, Georgios Koutsias redeemed the dominant home team with his double strike shortly after the break (51st/56th). The 21-year-old Greek had only moved to Ticino on loan from partner club Chicago in the winter and had already scored twice on Thursday.
With the lead behind them, the Ticino side became passive. Something that was almost punished. First Loïc Lüthi scored with a header five minutes before the end. Matteo Di Giusto then almost equalized in stoppage time. Amir Saipi deflected the Winterthur player's shot around the post with his fingertips.
The win puts Lugano back in the championship race and only three points behind leaders Servette. For Winterthur, the situation at the bottom of the table is slowly but surely becoming hopeless, as they are already seven points behind Grasshoppers.
Comments on the game
Man of the Match: Georgios Koutsias
"Scored 4 times in 3 days! What a week for the Greek. He definitely seems to have arrived in Switzerland." (blue Sport commentator Manuel Iseli)
Telegram
Lugano - Winterthur 2:1 (0:0)
3344 spectators. - SR Horisberger. - Goals: 50. Koutsias (Macek) 1:0. 56. Koutsias (Bislimi) 2:0. 85. Lüthi (Zuffi) 2:1.
Lugano: Saipi; Zanotti (81. Brault-Guillard), Papadopoulos, Hajdari, Martim Marques (65. Valenzuela); Grgic, Mahmoud (46. Macek), Bislimi (64. Doumbia); Steffen, Koutsias, Daniel Dos Santos (84. Sbai).
Winterthur: Kapino; Sidler, Arnold, Lüthi, Diaby; Stillhart (63. Jankewitz), Zuffi, Schneider (46. Durrer); Burkart (62. Bajrami), Gomis (46. Di Giusto), Frei (63. Buess).
Remarks: Cautions: 66 Jankewitz, 72 Sidler.
Live ticker to watch
FC Lugano
FC Winterthur
- Georgios Koutsias - 1:0 (50.)
- Georgios Koutsias - 2:0 (56.)
- (85.) 2:1 - Loïc Lüthi
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Liveticker
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Liveticker closed
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90.+5.End of 2nd half
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85.
Lüthi with the final goal
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85.Goal for FC Winterthur, 2:1 through Loïc Lüthi (Luca Zuffi)
Loïc Lüthi
Defender
Assist: Luca Zuffi
Midfielder
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72.Yellow card FC Winterthur
Silvan Sidler
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66.Yellow card FC Winterthur
Alexandre Jankewitz
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56.
Koutsias scores twice
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56.Goal for FC Lugano, 2:0 through Georgios Koutsias (Uran Bislimi)
Georgios Koutsias
Striker
Assist: Uran Bislimi
Midfielder
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50.
Koutsias puts Lugano in front
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50.Goal for FC Lugano, 1:0 through Georgios Koutsias (Roman Macek)
Georgios Koutsias
Striker
Assist: Roman Macek
Midfielder
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46.Kick-off 2nd half
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45.+2.End of 1st half
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1.Start of the match
