FC Lugano leave the Stade de Tourbillon with a draw that keeps their European hopes alive until the final matchday. On matchday 37 of the Brack Super League, the penultimate round of the Championship Group, the bianconeri drew 2–2 with FC Sion in a head-to-head clash between two sides separated by just two points in the table.
Mattia Croci-Torti’s side took the lead in the first half through Koutsias, before conceding a Valais comeback in the second half with goals from Chouaref and Baltazar. In the closing stages, just as Sion looked set to take the lead, it was Papadopoulos who scored the equaliser to keep the gap between the two sides unchanged.
KOUTSIAS BREAKS THE DEADLOCK IN THE FIRST HALF
The opening stages were evenly balanced, with both sides intent on playing their game without holding back. The first chances, however, fell to Lugano. In the 3rd minute, Cimignani crossed from the left and Zanotti arrived at the far post: his header went just wide.
The bianconeri continued to build with good consistency and tried again in the 15th minute, with Grgić shooting from the edge of the box, only for Racioppi to tip it away for a corner. The bianconeri’s pressure produced another chance in the 24th minute, when Koutsias went it alone and found himself one-on-one with the goalkeeper, but shot straight down the middle after finding himself off balance as he took the shot.
The bianconeri’s lead came in the 31st minute and resulted from a well-worked move. Behrens shielded the ball in midfield and played a long ball to Belhadj, who did well to get to the byline, beat an opponent and cut the ball back to Koutsias. The Greek striker had only to tap the ball into the net to make it 1-0.
The first half ended with Lugano looking the more dangerous and conceding little. Sion tried to build up play and catch their opponents off guard with speed, but the bianconeri defence read the situations carefully and thwarted the Valais side’s attempts, keeping Von Ballmoos’s goal free of shots on target.
SION COMEBACK, PAPADOPOULOS REPLIES
The second half opened with another chance for Lugano. In the 48th minute, following a free-kick, Belhadj struck with his left foot in the box, sending the ball just wide of the post. It was a crucial chance, as the match took a different turn just a few minutes later.
In the 55th minute, Sion equalised with their first shot on target of the match. After a misplaced horizontal pass by Zanotti, Mai fails to clear his own half and Chouaref recovers the ball, unleashing a powerful right-footed shot that nestles in the corner to make it 1-1. The goal energises the home side and the 14,000 fans at the Tourbillon, whilst Lugano go through the most difficult spell of their match.
Sion capitalised on the momentum and completed the comeback in the 63rd minute. Chouaref won the ball back in midfield again and played it to Kabacalman on the edge of the box. The number 88 opted not to shoot and laid the ball off to Baltazar, who found the net with the outside of his left foot to make it 2-1. In the space of eight minutes, therefore, the bianconeri went from leading to chasing the game.
The Valais side continued to press and in the 66th minute came close to a third goal through Boteli, who hit the post after a spell in which Lugano had given away space. Having weathered the storm, however, Croci-Torti’s side went back on the hunt for an equaliser. In the 76th minute, Grgić played a long ball to Behrens, who, facing Racioppi, struck first time with his right foot, but the Sion goalkeeper blocked it with his body.
In the closing stages, Lugano stepped up the pressure, aware of the importance of the league table and the need to avoid being overtaken. In the 90th minute came the decisive moment: Zanotti took a throw-in directly into the box, Pihlström got a shot away and Racioppi parried, but Papadopoulos pounced on the rebound to make it 2-2 and level the match in the dying moments.
The draw keeps Lugano in third place, two points ahead of Sion, and leaves everything to be decided on the final matchday. On Sunday 17 May, the bianconeri will host Basel at Cornaredo, whilst Sion will visit Young Boys in Bern. The race for European qualification remains open, but Lugano retain control of their own destiny.
MATCH REPORT
FC SION – FC LUGANO 2-2
Brack Super League – Matchday
37 14 May 2026 – Stade de Tourbillon
Attendance: 14,300
Goalscorers: 31’ Koutsias, 55’ Chouaref, 63’ Baltazar, 90’ Papadopoulos.
FC SION (4-2-3-1): Racioppi; Hefti, Kronig, Hajrizi, Lavanchy; Kabacalman (81’ Sow), Baltazar; Chouaref (81’ Rrudhani), Surdez (64’ Boteli), Lukembila (64’ Chipperfield); Nivokazi.
Substitutes: Ruberto, Kessler, Diack, Berdayes, Lukes, Mokango.
Manager: Didier Tholot.
FC LUGANO (3-5-2): Von Ballmoos; Papadopoulos, Mai, Delcroix; Zanotti, Belhadj (74’ Bottani), Grgić (89’ Kendouci), Bislimi, Cimignani (68’ Alioski); Behrens, Koutsias (68’ Pihlström).
Substitutes: Saipi, Kelvin, Carbone, Parente, Ajdin.
Manager: Mattia Croci-Torti.
Referee: Mirel Turkes
Assistant referees: Ilco Jancevski and Nicolas Müller
Fourth official: Zrinko Prskalo
VAR and AVAR: Sven Wolfensberger and Laura Mauricio
Bookings: Grgić (LUG), Hefti (SIO), Hajrizi (SIO), Baltazar (SIO), Boteli (SIO).