Following the draw at Kybunpark against FC St. Gallen 1879, Mattia Croci-Torti reflects on a game of two halves, highlighting the difficulties of the first half and the resilient response shown in the second, despite being a man down.
“Matches last 90 minutes; you have to know how to read them,” begins the Bianconeri coach, immediately returning to the early difficulties. Lugano, particularly in the first half, struggled to find solutions against the hosts’ aggressive pressing: “In the first half, we didn’t play deep enough. Although we didn’t concede much, we really did too little in attack.” This is also linked to the team’s characteristics: “We can’t afford to play long balls; we don’t have that physicality. We need to be brave and believe in our game.”
The turning point came in the second half, when Lugano changed their approach and found greater fluidity in their play. “In the second half we came out with a different spirit: everyone was moving, everyone was changing positions. They realised they needed to move more,” explains Croci-Torti, highlighting how it was precisely this mobility that allowed the Bianconeri to trouble an opponent accustomed to man-marking. Paradoxically, even Dos Santos’s sending-off made Lugano more determined and dangerous: “When you’re down to 10 men, you lose a reference point and the opposition can find themselves in trouble. We gained confidence and strength.” Hence the clear verdict on the result: “This draw is thoroughly deserved for what we showed in the second half.”
One of the key figures in the comeback was Elias Pihlström, whose introduction brought depth and dynamism to the game. “He’s a lad with great potential,” the manager emphasised, explaining the young Swedish striker’s development: “In recent weeks he’s been showing promising signs, he’s settling in better and today he really caused St. Gallen problems with his movement.” However, Croci-Torti prefers to broaden the discussion to the team as a whole: “It’s right to talk about individuals, but what I liked was the team’s character, the desire to fight back right up to the last second.”
Finally, an overall view of the Bianconeri’s performance and current form. The manager acknowledges that there is still room for improvement in the final third, but highlights the value of the result achieved on a difficult pitch: “Drawing here isn’t easy, and doing so after coming from behind and with a man down demonstrates the team’s character. I’m very pleased with my lads’ performance.”
Lugano thus bounce back with a point earned through determination, keeping in touch with the top spots and now preparing for their next challenge, scheduled in Bern against Young Boys.