Lugano U21 imposes itself with the minimum waste on Kreuzlingen in the framework of the 17th day of the Hoval Promotion League and completes an important first round with extreme satisfaction.
While finding again at full strength the offensive external player Yassin Sbai, and with the contribution of the central Damian Kelvin and of the Swedish three-quarter player Elias Pihlström, the HCL second team is forced to renounce to the disqualified Rafael Frizzi (suspended for having accumulated the fourth yellow card of the season last week at Lausanne) and to the injured Nicolò Puddu. Despite this, the quality put on the field by coach Andrea Vitali was such that he proposed an airy manoeuvre full of important moments, both defensive and offensive.
The Sunday duel between Ticino and Turgovia started without "frills" on both fronts. The first guest's proposal signed by Ensar Ismaili was answered by Ilija Maslarov with a central left-footed shot. The same is tried by Abbas Karaki. It all happened, without luck, between the fifth and eleventh minutes of play. When the clock struck sixteen, a long and precise vertical throw offered Sbai the chance to present himself alone in front of Fabian Fellmann. Captain Luca Molino also "threw himself" on the ball and a misunderstanding between the two sent the #17 to the conclusion, with a consequent rebound on a corner kick by the Confederate extreme defender.
The twenty-fifth minute then arrived, when Maslarov tried to assist Pihlström in the centre of the area. The centre-back's pass seemed to be intercepted with his arm by a green-and-white defender, but referee Alexander Tester, despite the home side's vehement protests, did not intervene and allowed the play to continue. The actions that followed at the turn of the half-hour mark - Adrian Rama-Bitterfeld's powerful left-footer on one side, Sbai's right-footer after David Piffero's cross deflected into the corner and Sbai's left-footed volley off target and Aleksandar Radić's high shot on the other - did not change the result. Not even a moving penalty, starring Jason Parente who, having taken advantage of Sbai's precious veil on Pihlström's cross, saw Fellmann providentially repel, changed the fate of a match that seemed 'bewitched'. At the end of the half, Fotios Pseftis was first safe following an attempt by Rama-Bitterfeld and then lucky to see Uchenna Anioke's right-footed shot go just wide. The period ended with Lendrit Shala's left-footed shot from Piffero going over the crossbar.
The pace in the second half showed no signs of abating. A personal initiative by Sbai, resulting in a diagonal run to the side, was answered by Enrique Wild with a conclusion outside the mirror. In the 57th minute, Rama-Bitterfeld forced Pseftis to fly to avoid collecting the ball in the back of his own goal. On the opposite side, Piffero had a good chance to open the scoring, but Fellmann confirmed himself as an almost impassable wall. Almost, because in the seventy-eighth minute, a downhill run on the left by Yuri Peverelli sent the Turgovian rearguard into turmoil. The attacker's low cross found the arrival of Molino, who 'ventured' onto the ball at supersonic speed and scored the goal that made the Maglio explode. The Lugano captain's seal is the final prize for the attitude, will and determination shown during the afternoon by the local players.
The first half of the year thus goes down in the archives with the fifth overall success, which, added to seven goal-divisions and five setbacks, brings the loot to 22 points. The ranking also smiles, since the position occupied is seventh. One fact to note concerns home performances: of the nine outings in front of the home crowd, Milad Amirzade and his teammates have won two and drawn seven. Only the top two in the class, Lucerne's Kriens and St. Gallen's Brühl, have been unblemished on their own ground in this first part of the 2025-2026 season.
"I am very happy. This was a game, at the end of which the three points allowed you to end the first half of the season with serenity. Now we have a long break and this is a happy day for us. In addition to the return of Yassin Sbai, there were also the 'additions' of Elias Pihlström and Damian Kelvin, who raised the quality of the group. In fact, the chances created were many and the zero-zero result, which went on for so long, was a bit of a lie. If you don't manage to unblock the game, you obviously concede something. The Turgovians also had their opportunities, but Fotios Pseftis always responded. In the match's lull, we completed a good action, finding the decisive goal. The zero home defeats? It means that on our home ground we have always managed to be competitive. Away, on the other hand, we have failed in some challenges and in others the opponents have been better. Beyond these data, I am satisfied for all our boys", the comment at the end of the game of Mister Andrea Vitali.
Now, Lugano U21 is waiting for a rather full stop. In fact, the next official appointment is scheduled for the weekend of the 14th/15th of February 2026, when at Canobbio will face Cham's Zug players (date and time still to be defined). In the meantime, a first preparation match has been scheduled, which will take place on Saturday 31 January 2026 at 16:00 against the Prishtina Bern First League Classic team.
TABLE
Hoval Promotion League, day 17
Centro Sportivo Al Maglio, Canobbio - 200 spectators
FC LUGANO U21 - FC KREUZLINGEN 1:0 (0:0)
MARCATORE: 78′ Molino 1:0
FC LUGANO U21 (3-4-2-1): Pseftis; Shala, Kelvin, Radić; Molino, J. Parente, Maslarov (66′ Amirzade), Peverelli; Pihlström (73′ Raffa), Sbai (84′ Angstmann); Piffero.
Available: Pellanda, Gecaj, Gamba, Shabanaj.
Coach: Andrea Vitali.
FC KREUZLINGEN (4-4-2): Fellmann; Ismaili, Seeger, E. Parente (84′ Ukaj), Matković; Hasani (71′ Alleheri), Rama-Bitterfeld (84′ Bartolomeo), Wild (84′ Selmanaj), Karaki (76′ Zwahlen); Laidouci, Anioke.
Available: Faderl.
Coach: Rahim Kürsat Ortancioğlu.
REFEREE: Alexander Tester.
ASSISTANTS: Patrick Arnold and Silvan Gorrengourt.
ADMITTED: 21′ Seeger, 23′ Laidouci, 69′ Parente, 90′ Angstmann, 90′ +1′ Alleheri.