Almost a month after their last competitive match, the Women’s First Team are preparing to return to action. On Saturday 2 May, the bianconeri will begin the play-off phase of the Women’s National League B, having finished the regular season in eighth place.
Antonelli’s side last played an official match on Saturday 4 April, when FC Schlieren won 1-0 in the fixture marking the final day of the league’s regular season. Since then, the tournament has entered its second phase, with the teams divided into the various groups as stipulated by the regulations.
The top two teams from the regular season will take part in promotion play-offs against the bottom two teams from the Women’s Super League, whilst the teams finishing third to seventh will play matches that will only determine their final league positions. Lugano, who finished eighth at the end of the first phase, have been placed in the group that will decide the positions from eighth to twelfth.
The bianconeri will play four matches, facing each opponent once, with fixtures alternating between home and away games. For Bytyqi and her teammates, this is a phase to determine their final league position, with no risk of relegation: they have already secured their place in the division, so there is no danger of dropping down, a fate reserved for the bottom two teams in the group.
As per the regulations, the second phase will commence with points, goals scored and goals conceded from the regular season carried over. Saturday 2 May will therefore mark the start of the final stretch of the season, which Lugano will approach with confidence, aiming to finish the championship in the best possible way.