A week after their rollercoaster ride in Yverdon-les-Bains, FC Lugano Femminile bounced back on home turf, securing a resounding and convincing 5–0 (1–0) victory over Schlieren on Matchday 11 of the National League B.
Ready, set, go, and within the space of sixty seconds there were two chances, one for each side. First, a curling right-footed shot from Lucrezia Sasso, played back by the ever-elusive Aline Oliva, was gathered by Annina Eigenmann. At the other end, Norah Gächter sent Eleonora Castellani off balance, cut back onto her right foot and spared Marie Enning, sending the ball just wide of the post. The home side then maintained control of proceedings and created two more chances in quick succession before the quarter-hour mark. Sabina Di Muro’s assist for Sasso fails to bring the luck she was seeking, as the Zurich goalkeeper tips her low left-footed shot away for a corner. Moments later, it is a low save that denies Anna Crapanzano the joy of a goal.
The opening goal was, however, in the air and came in the 16th minute following a splendid team move. Mathilda Andreoli played a precise diagonal ball to Oliva on the right, who sprinted towards the byline and delivered a cross to the far post for the onrushing Sasso, who stretched to head home the opening goal. Once the deadlock was broken, the Bianconere engaged in a fiercely contested match, expertly managed by referee Simona Ghisletta. A number of technical errors on both sides subsequently limited attacking output. That was until Céline Bürgisser’s dangerous header in the 38th minute.
The second half could not have started better for the Lugano side. Andreoli played the ball out wide to Di Muro on the right. After controlling the ball, the number 17 played a diagonal pass into the box, where Crapanzano was waiting. Taking advantage of a subtle but exquisite backheel from Andreoli, the Italian midfielder doubled the lead with a finish at the near post. At this point, the visitors were forced to go on the offensive and – following a left-footed effort from Muro that went wide on the hour mark – came dangerously close to pulling one back with a run and shot from Chantal Rochat.
Subsequently, the visitors stepped up the pace even further. Following a wayward long-range free-kick from Melissa Colombo and a missed chance by Sasso with the goal gaping, another superb team move ensued. It all started with a long ball from Enning to Sasso. The latter controlled it with her heel and laid it off for Andreoli, who played a perfectly timed pass to Oliva. The winger found herself one-on-one with the opposition goalkeeper and fired past her with a powerful right-footed shot at mid-height. A couple of nervy moments followed for the home side, with Stefanie Raschle hitting the post and Enning making a confident save from Valerie Spiess’s attempted lob.
Having weathered these brief moments of danger, the Bianconeri girls went back on the offensive and scored their fourth and fifth goals between the 83rd and 87th minutes. Let’s take it in order. The fourth goal of the evening was scored by Michelle Gigante with a precise right-footed volley from the centre of the box, following an assist from the wing by Andreoli. The fifth goal was a diagonal shot into the top corner by Crapanzano after a one-two between Andreoli and Oliva. The final tally could well have been six, had Anna Mochi’s shot not been deflected away by Eigenmann’s fingertips.
At the end of the match, manager Andrea Antonelli made no secret of his satisfaction with the victory, but also with the performance of his players: “It was a great match. It wasn’t easy to prepare for this difficult challenge, knowing we were coming off a heavy defeat and being aware we had to face a strong side sitting high up the table. Both mentally and physically, the girls managed the match perfectly. They deserve credit, because they played a sensational match in every respect, from the tactical to the technical. The most important aspect, however, is the mental one. What we needed was to approach the game with the right mindset to respond to last weekend’s performance. All the girls made themselves available. On this occasion, for example, Antonella Albertini, who is a crucial player for us, was left out of the starting eleven. If someone like her accepts a place on the bench and comes on in the ideal manner, it means the dressing room is in good shape. The Swiss Cup tie against Zurich? It’ll be a great match to play. The Tigrines have a massive reputation in Switzerland and it’ll be an honour for us to face them. Facing them after a win like this makes the prospect of taking on such a strong opponent feel a bit less daunting. We’ll take it as a lesson for the future and try to do our very best.”
As mentioned, the next fixture for FC Lugano Women – who, thanks to their win over Schlieren, have climbed the table to seventh place on 13 points – will be against Zurich, a side competing in the AXA Women’s Super League where they sit in fourth place after the first nine matchdays. The match against the reigning champions will take place on Saturday 8 November 2025 at 7.15 pm, again on the artificial pitch of Field F at the Cornaredo Stadium.
MATCH REPORT Women’s National
League B, Matchday 11
Cornaredo Stadium, Pitch F – 100 spectators
FC LUGANO WOMEN – FC SCHLIEREN 5:0 (1:0)
GOALS: 16′ Sasso 1:0, 48′ Crapanzano 2:0, 77′ Oliva 3:0, 83′ Gigante 4:0, 87′ Crapanzano 5:0.
FC LUGANO WOMEN (4-3-3): Enning; Castellani (68′ Russo), Colombo, Zanaboni, Nascimento Sa; Crapanzano, Di Muro (88′ Unternährer), Gigante (88′ Mochi); Oliva, Sasso (77′ Albertini), Andreoli.
Substitutes: Audrino, Bassi, Fera.
Manager: Andrea Antonelli.
FC SCHLIEREN (4-4-2): Eigenmann; Vono Oviedo (68′ Spiess), Bürgisser, Dietrich (68′ Hashani), L. Gächter; Bürgler (68′ Rohr), Bonfardin, Michel (61′ Romeo), N. Gächter; Rochat, Metzger (61′ Raschle).
Substitutes: Erismann.
Manager: Alessandro Vicedomini.
REFEREE: Simona Ghisletta.
ASSISTANTS: Farah Bachir and Natnael Kaleab.
BOOKED: 84′ Rochat.