FC Lugano beat Servette FC 1-0 at the AIL Arena following an intense, evenly-matched game full of chances. The match on Matchday 6 of the Brack Super League was decided by Albian Ajeti, who scored the winning goal in the 94th minute on his debut for the bianconeri.
The win allows Mattia Croci-Torti’s side to continue their perfect start to the league campaign: 15 points from five matches, overtaking Young Boys and returning to the top of the table with a one-point lead over the yellow-and-blacks.
A HIGH-SPEED FIRST HALF
The match was lively from the very first minutes, and FC Lugano created their first big chance in the 12th minute: Bislimi crossed from the wing to find Moncada, whose header forced Gertmonas into a difficult save. Three minutes later, it was Dos Santos who posed a threat: he cut in from the left and aimed for the near post with a right-footed shot from the edge of the box, but it went just wide.
In the 18th minute, however, Servette had their best chance. Kendouci fouled Ouattara in the box and the referee awarded a penalty. Mráz stepped up to take the spot-kick, opting for a powerful, central strike, but sent the ball over the bar.
The Servette striker immediately tried to make amends in the 22nd minute, when he met Njoh’s cross and fired a left-footed shot on the turn, but failed to hit the target. The match remained wide open and, in the 26th minute, Delcroix also tried to catch the visitors off guard with a solo run: he beat an opponent on the edge of the box and struck a powerful shot from outside the area, but the ball flew just over the bar.
Servette responded in the 36th minute through Ouattara, who cut inside from the right and unleashed a left-footed shot that grazed the crossbar. The half thus ended 0–0, following a high-intensity first half with chances for both sides.
AJETI IN THE 94TH MINUTE
FC Lugano came out strongly after the break, and in the opening minutes of the second half, Papadopoulos came close to putting his side ahead on two occasions. First, he headed the ball at the near post following a corner, sending it just wide, then he tried his luck from long range, only to be denied by Gertmonas.
In the 54th minute, Servette created one of the clearest chances of the evening: Cognat played a through ball to Ouattara, who found himself one-on-one with von Ballmoos but fired just over the bar. Barely a minute later, Lugano responded with their best chance of the match so far. Steffen played the ball into the box; the away defence failed to clear it and Dos Santos, from close range, curled a left-footed shot towards goal. However, a timely intervention by the Granata defence deflected the ball out for a corner.
Croci-Torti makes a substitution from the bench and, in the 67th minute, brings on new signing Albian Ajeti. The striker immediately gets into the thick of the action and, in the 75th minute, heads the ball on for Bislimi’s run, who shoots with his right foot but sends it just over the bar.
In the closing stages, Servette began to look dangerous again. In the 87th minute, a throw-in sent the ball into the bianconeri’s box, where Mutandwa managed to get a header away: von Ballmoos responded with a superb reflex save to keep the score level.
Lugano, however, stepped up the pressure in the closing minutes and came close to scoring twice in the 92nd minute. First, Steffen sent in a low cross in front of goal but failed to find the decisive deflection, then he set up Papadopoulos, whose header went just wide.
Just as the 0–0 scoreline seemed set to stand, the move that decided the match came in the very last second. Beckham Castro, who had only just come on, carried the ball from his own half into the attacking third and launched the move. Bislimi received the ball on the left and crossed to the far post, finding Castro, who flicked it on towards the centre of the box. Ajeti gets on the end of the ball and unleashes a thunderous right-footed shot that leaves Gertmonas with no chance: it’s 1–0 in the 94th minute, and the striker’s first goal in the number 9 shirt for FC Lugano on his debut.
The bianconeri thus secure three vital points and maintain their perfect league record. With 15 points from five matches, FC Lugano have once again overtaken Young Boys and return to the top of the table on their own, one point clear of the Gialloneri.
Croci-Torti’s side’s next fixture takes them to Basel in three days’ time, where they will continue their Brack Super League campaign on Sunday.
MATCH REPORT
FC LUGANO – SERVETTE FC 1–0
Brack Super League – Matchday
6, 3 September 2026 – AIL Arena
Attendance: 5,755
Goalscorers: 94’ Ajeti.
FC LUGANO (3-1-4-2): von Ballmoos; Papadopoulos, Kelvin, Delcroix; Kendouci (46’ Grgić); Karimov (67’ Zanotti), Bislimi, Dos Santos (74’ Pihlström), Cimignani (92’ Beckham Castro); Steffen, Moncada (67’ Ajeti).
Substitutes: Gebhardt, Mai, Bichsel, Ajdin.
Manager: Mattia Croci-Torti.
SERVETTE FC (4-2-3-1): Gertmonas; Maceiras (80’ Datro Fofana), Rouiller, Burch, Mazikou; Naressi (70’ Douline), Cognat; Ouattara (70’ Lopes), Stevanović, Njoh (80’ Mendes); Mráz (60’ Mutandwa).
Substitutes: Rieder, Allix, Djoho, Njiké Simo.
Manager: Jocelyn Gourvennec.
Referee: Hüseyin Sanli
. Assistant referees: Susanne Küng and Leroy Hartmann
. Fourth official: Mirel Turkes
. VAR and AVAR: Johannes von Mandach and Sven Wolfensberger
Booked: Kendouci (LUG), Moncada (LUG), Naressi (SER), Cognat (SER).