After the 2-1 victory against FC Sion on Plan ₿ Match night, Mattia Croci-Torti analysed the Bianconeri's performance at a press conference, emphasising above all the team's mental reaction after the disappointment of the weekend at Letzigrund.
The Bianconeri coach said he was particularly pleased with his players' attitude: I'm happy with the performance because I think we showed character. We went 1-0 down and wanted to get back into it straight away. In the second half, compared to other recent games, we stayed higher up the pitch and were very vertical in our transitions.
AFTER ZURICH, WE WERE FRUSTRATED
The victory takes on even greater significance in light of Sunday's defeat against Grasshopper, a match that left the dressing room feeling very bitter. We came out of a game that hurt, explained Croci-Torti, because when you play seventy minutes with an extra man and lose, you feel frustrated. But I spoke clearly to the team: we mustn't let our heads drop. We can be frustrated, but we have to react. Today, from a mental point of view, I really liked the team.
According to the coach, it was this desire to react that made the difference: The three points are the logical consequence of a team that wanted to win more.
CHANGE OF STRATEGY IN THE SECOND HALF
Croci-Torti then explained the tactical choices that characterised the match. After a more cautious first half, Lugano changed their approach in the second half: In the first half, we were very careful and defensive, we conceded little, but we didn't have the strength to really hurt them on the counterattack. In the second half, I completely changed the strategy: I let Sion have more of the ball so that we could win it back and play more vertically.
This was an unusual choice for the coach, but it paid off for the team: It's something I don't usually do, changing strategy during a match. But the team interpreted it well.
BEHRENS DECISIVE
Among the stars of the evening was Kevin Behrens, who scored the decisive goal shortly after coming on. Croci-Torti explained how the German striker had been carefully managed after his recent return from injury: He had had a physical problem and I didn't want to take any risks. I asked him to play hard for half an hour and he attacked the depth very well.
The coach then emphasised the importance of the number 91 in the Bianconeri's attacking system: It may not always be pretty to watch, but ask the opposing defenders if he's easy to deal with. He has a physical presence and an attack on depth that are very useful for the team.
WE HAVE MORE POINTS THAN LAST YEAR
During the press conference, Croci-Torti also defended the team's season, pointing out that Lugano is still achieving important results.
Since I've been coaching Lugano, I've never had so many points. Sometimes it seems like we're not performing well enough in the league, but no one can take these points away from us.
The goal remains to continue fighting at the top of the table: We have to get as many points as possible. Young Boys and Basel are coming up, and we want to stay at the top and reach Europe.
BACK ON THE PITCH
The Brack Super League calendar allows no breaks, and Lugano will have to quickly refocus on their next match.
On Saturday evening, the Bianconeri will take to the pitch again at Cornaredo, where Lucerne will be the visitors. It will be another important match, in which Croci-Torti's team will try to build on their success against Sion and continue their run in the league.