Against Young Boys U21 at the Al Maglio Sports Centre in Canobbio, Lugano U21 found themselves in the classic scenario where little or nothing went right. The telling final score of 0–6 (0–3) confirms the difficulties faced by the bianconeri’s second team this afternoon.
For their fifth match in just under twenty days, manager Andrea Vitali made a few changes to the starting line-up. João Carbone returned to the centre of defence in place of Alessio Chiesa, whilst Nicolò Puddu replaced Yuri Peverelli and Ilija Maslarov returned to the starting line-up as playmaker. Missing from the squad was Jason Parente who, having received his fourth booking of the season in the midweek fixture at Paradiso, was automatically suspended for one match.
The opening stages of the match saw the home side looking to take the initiative with two chances. In the fifth minute, Elias Pihlström played a through ball to Rafael Frizzi, whose right-footed shot was on target. However, second assistant referee Jonathan Collaud flagged for offside and the move was therefore ruled out. As the clock ticked past the tenth minute, Yassin Sbai crossed for Frizzi, who failed to beat Ardian Bajrami to the ball.
The Gialloneri, coached by Joël Magnin, took the lead with their first chance. It all started with a free-kick from the wing by Elio Rufener and was finished off by a precise diagonal shot from David Borges. Perhaps starting from an offside position, the attacking midfielder broke the deadlock, putting the game on the right track. From this point onwards, the capital side moved the ball around with real class, and it was no coincidence that, just past the half-hour mark, they doubled their lead. The credit goes to Nicolò Urbano, who was on hand to meet Josiah Seyfu’s cross, which was deflected slightly but decisively by the tip of João Carbone’s boot. The #9’s simple tap-in with his head tilted the balance of the match even further in the visitors’ favour.
After a rather prolonged spell fraught with complications, the Subcenerini players had a moment of hope through Christian Raffa, who skilfully won the ball on the edge of the box and unleashed a powerful right-footed shot, punched away by an alert Bajrami. The first half ended with the Swiss-German side leading 3-0. A misunderstanding between Diego Mina and João Carbone following a corner taken by Borges was a ‘gift’ for Keeto Thermoncy, who, with a backheel from close range, extended his side’s lead to three.
Within the first ten minutes of the second half, Raffa played an inviting ball to Pihlström. However, the Swede was unable to get ahead of the rapid arrival of the Giallonero goalkeeper and the potential chance faded away. Subsequently, it was Swiss full-back Fabrice Gwerder who tried his luck. His right-footed shot went wide. Just before the hour mark, a precise lay-off from Sbai found Raffa as the perfect finisher. The bianconero’s No. 17 looks to shoot but is blocked, whilst Maslarov’s subsequent left-footed effort fails to hit the target.
As the clock ticks towards the 62nd minute, the epitome of the home side’s dismal afternoon unfolds. A long ball from Urbano set up Seyfu, whose attempted assist into the centre of the box was intercepted by Rron Krueziu, who unfortunately deflected the ball into his own net. Shortly afterwards, however, Seyfu went it alone with a fine diagonal shot into the top corner. The splendid goal to make it 5–0 heralded the end of the first half in YB’s favour. The ‘game, set and match’ in the 75th minute was sealed by Rufener, who capitalised on the rebound off the post from Eliah Küpfer’s attempt to slot past Mina.
In the closing stages, not content with the comfortable lead already secured, the Yellow and Blacks hit the woodwork twice more, between the 85th and 90th minutes. First, a curling left-footed shot from Pietro Bregant struck the post. Then, another left-footed effort, this time from Loris Macumi, crashed against the crossbar.
Referee Marco Helbling’s final whistle thus secured all three points for Young Boys U21, leaving Lugano’s second team empty-handed; they remain in twelfth place in the table with 33 points. The next fixtures are both away matches: on Saturday 25 April at 4.00 pm, the team will travel to the Canton of Vaud to face Bavois (currently sixth in the division), and on Saturday 2 May at 7.30 pm, they will face a tough test against Bienne (currently third in the table).
Coach Andrea Vitali offers his analysis of the ninety minutes played by his lads: “Although we were a bit unlucky at the start of the match, where we conceded two goals from set pieces, we lacked the necessary ruthlessness and, honestly, we struggled quite a bit. Let’s turn the page and put this run of five matches in just over two weeks behind us. Now, let’s try to recover our strength and move forward. A brief assessment of this ‘tour de force’? After a defeat like this, it’s hard to be objective. Before the match, we were very pleased with the four performances we’d put in. But it’s clear that today was meant to go this way. Credit to Young Boys; they were excellent, and the 6-0 scoreline makes perfect sense over the course of the match. They ran more than us, won the duels, and had more energy. We, on the other hand, showed little fighting spirit. The matches against Bavois and Bienne? We gave it our all against them in the first leg and intend to do the same in the next two fixtures. We’ll learn from this match, recharge our batteries and go out to give it our all in both the Canton of Vaud and the Canton of Bern.”
MATCH REPORT
Hoval Promotion League, Matchday 28
Al Maglio Sports Centre, Canobbio – 200 spectators
FC LUGANO U21 – BSC YOUNG BOYS U21 0–6 (0–3)
GOALS: 15’ Borges 0–1, 31’ Urbano 0–2, 41’ Thermoncy 0–3, 62’ Krueziu 0–4 (own goal), 69’ Seyfu 0–5, 75’ Rufener 0–6.
FC LUGANO U21 (3-4-2-1): Mina; Krueziu, João Carbone (59' Chiesa), Radić; Puddu, Ajdin (46' Amirzade), Maslarov, Sbai (87' Shabanaj); Pihlström (59' Piffero), Raffa; Frizzi (72' Peverelli).
Substitutes: Ndiaye, Gecaj.
Manager: Andrea Vitali.
BSC YOUNG BOYS U21 (4-2-3-1): Bajrami; Gwerder (76' Bregant), Thermoncy, Zufferey, Macumi; Kabeya, Rufener; Seyfu (76' de Azevedo), van der Sluis (76' Tschanz), Borges (70' Küpfer); Urbano (80' Bejić).
Substitutes: Salchli, Damnjanović.
Manager: Joël Magnin.
REFEREE: Marco Helbling.
ASSISTANTS: Laetitia Martin and Jonathan Collaud.
BOOKINGS: 54' Urbano, 71' Gwerder.
Men's U21April 19, 2026