The 2025/26 Brack Super League is entering its decisive week. With four days to go until the end of the season, everything is still to play for in the race for European places, and Lugano are preparing for one of the most important matches of the season. On Thursday 14 May, at 4.30 pm, the bianconeri will visit FC Sion at the Stade de Tourbillon for matchday 37, the penultimate fixture of the Championship Group.
Mattia Croci-Torti’s side go into the match in third place with 63 points, two ahead of Sion, who sit fourth on 61 points. Following victories against league leaders Thun, decided by Alioski’s penalty in stoppage time, and against Young Boys, sealed by Renato Steffen’s late header, Lugano saw their winning run come to an end in their last league match at Cornaredo, losing 2-1 to St. Gallen. A bitter defeat, yet one that has not robbed the bianconeri of control over their own destiny.
Their lead in the table remains crucial. A win at Sion would seal third place for Lugano, securing their place in the second qualifying round of the UEFA Conference League. In the event of a draw or defeat, however, the final outcome would be postponed until the last day of the league season, scheduled for Sunday against Basel at Cornaredo. This is also why the trip to Valais takes on the air of a genuine head-to-head clash, in which the significance of the points goes beyond the single match.
SION IN TOP FORM
They will, however, be up against one of the league’s most in-form sides. Sion have not lost since early March, when they were beaten by none other than Lugano at Cornaredo. Since then, Didier Tholot’s side have recorded six wins and two draws, staging a comeback that has seen them re-enter the European race in earnest and put pressure on the bianconeri. Their recent home win against Thun, already crowned Swiss champions, confirmed the positive form of a side capable of finding consistency at the most crucial stage of the season.
The head-to-head record this season also tells a story of a closely contested rivalry: one win apiece and a draw in the three matches already played. The bianconeri’s latest victory, secured at Cornaredo, is therefore an important benchmark, but it does not alter the essence of the build-up. In Sion, a complete performance will be required in a match that pits two sides against each other at this decisive stage, both with the same objective and with very little margin for error.
CROCI-TORTI'S SELECTIONS
In this context, Lugano will also have to cope with some significant absences. Renato Steffen will be suspended, whilst Daniel Dos Santos is still struggling with a physical problem that makes it difficult for him to feature as early as Thursday. In the post-match interview following the game against St. Gallen, Croci-Torti explained the need to find new solutions in attack: “We’ll certainly come up with something up front. We’ll see in the coming training sessions who gives me the most confidence.” An added difficulty, but also an opportunity to empower the whole squad, called upon to take that final step repeatedly mentioned by the bianconeri coach.
The disappointment of the defeat to St. Gallen therefore gives way to an immediate opportunity to bounce back. The league has presented Lugano with a clear chance: to defend what they have built so far and turn the away trip to Sion into the decisive step towards Europe. There are two games left, but the first could already be match point.
