FC Lugano beat FC Zürich 5–0 at the AIL Arena and continue their perfect start to the Brack Super League campaign. On the third matchday of the league season, the bianconeri put in a convincing performance from start to finish and have now taken their tally to nine points after three matches.
The match was watched by 7,269 spectators, a new attendance record for the AIL Arena. On the pitch, Mattia Croci-Torti’s side immediately took control of the match and held onto it until the final whistle, with Behrens the standout performer in the first half and Steffen, Dos Santos and Moncada sealing the victory in the second half.
BEHRENS SCORES
TWICE Lugano started with great intensity and spent the first quarter of an hour firmly in Zurich’s half. The first significant attempt came in the 11th minute, with Delcroix testing the goalkeeper from distance.
The bianconeri’s pressure paid off in the 17th minute. Delcroix drove forward down the left and delivered a ball into the box, where Behrens beat everyone to it with a run to the near post, making it 1–0.
Zurich tried to respond and created their first real chance in the 27th minute. Keny won a physical duel with Papadopoulos, collected a cross from the right and shot from a promising position, but von Ballmoos reacted brilliantly to tip the ball away for a corner.
Barely two minutes later, Lugano came close to scoring again with a splendid one-touch move: Steffen played the ball out to Cimignani on the left, who immediately crossed it into the box, where Behrens attempted an acrobatic volley. Lindner pulled off a superb save to deny him a brace.
The German’s second goal, however, was only a matter of time. In the 34th minute, from a set-piece, Grgić delivered a cross and Behrens once again found the winning touch, sending the bianconeri into the break 2–0 ahead.
STEFFEN, DOS SANTOS AND MONCADA SEAL THE DEAL
The second half began in much the same vein. In the 52nd minute, von Ballmoos played a long ball forward, finding Steffen’s run deep into the box; he found himself one-on-one with Lindner and made no mistake: 3–0.
Zurich tried to create a chance four minutes later. A cross from the left found the newly-substituted Perea, who controlled the ball in the box and shot from close range but from a tight angle, only to hit the side netting.
Lugano continued to dictate the pace of the match, and Croci-Torti gradually brought on substitutes from the bench. It was one of these substitutes who scored the fourth goal of the match: in the 79th minute, Dos Santos, who had only just come on, attempted a shot-cum-cross from the right which took a perfect trajectory and ended up straight into the top corner at the far post.
The scoreline became even more emphatic in the 89th minute. On a counter-attack, Moncada reached the edge of the box and unleashed a powerful left-footed shot, which was deflected by a defender and proved unstoppable for Lindner. It was 5–0 and, for the young Honduran, his first goal at the AIL Arena and his second in a Lugano shirt.
A convincing victory that allows FC Lugano to maintain a perfect record in the Brack Super League with nine points from three matches. The bianconeri can now turn their attention back to UEFA competition: the return leg against NSÍ Runavík is scheduled for Thursday in the Faroe Islands.
MATCH REPORT
FC LUGANO – FC ZÜRICH 4–0
Brack Super League – Matchday
3 9 August 2026 – AIL Arena
Attendance: 7,269
Goalscorers: 17’ Behrens, 34’ Behrens, 52’ Steffen, 79’ Dos Santos, 89’ Moncada.
FC LUGANO (3-4-2-1): von Ballmoos; Papadopoulos, Mai, Delcroix (80’ Kelvin); Zanotti, Grgić, Bislimi (70’ Kendouci), Pihlström (62’ Dos Santos); Steffen (80’ Marques), Cimignani; Behrens (70’ Moncada).
Substitutes: Gebhardt, Bichsel, Ajdin, Castro.
Manager: Mattia Croci-Torti.
FC ZÜRICH (4-1-4-1): Lindner; Hodza, Kamberi, Sauter, Volken; Schödler (67’ Bangoura); Krasniqi (44’ Perea), Comenencia, Berisha (44’ Spadanuda), Emmanuel (67’ Di Giusto); Keny.
Substitutes: Pinthus, Hack, Walker, Reichmuth, Ramic.
Manager: Marcel Koller.
Referee: Lukas Fähndrich
. Assistant referees: Livio Aschwanden and Susanne Küng
. Fourth official: Luca Piccolo
. VAR and AVAR: Urs Schnyder and Jonathan Jaussi
Booked: Hodza (ZUR), Berisha (ZUR), Comenencia (ZUR).