The 2025–2026 Hoval Promotion League season has reached Matchday 10, and Lugano U21 are hosting Paradiso on the artificial pitch at the Al Maglio Sports Centre. At the end of the ninety minutes, the 2–2 (1–1) scoreline favours neither side, allowing both to pick up a valuable point for the league table.
Fielding a very young side, the bianconeri’s reserve team tackle a tricky fixture with courage and intelligence. This is particularly true given that they are up against an opponent who, historically, has always given them a hard time. Although head-to-head encounters in recent seasons have generally favoured the Biancoverdi, the lads led by manager Andrea Vitali started the match in the best possible way, taking the lead after just nine minutes. The credit goes to Rafael Frizzi’s composure and finishing ability, as he skilfully capitalised on a lay-off from Yuri Peverelli to strike a powerful shot from twenty metres, beating Attilio Morosoli. A stunning goal that sent the large crowd gathered that Saturday afternoon in Canobbio into raptures.
Vincenzo Saladino’s side responded almost immediately with a header from Federico Rasić that went wide. Another nine minutes passed – the clock showed the 23rd minute – and a cross from the same Argentine centre-forward found the former Canobbio player Giovanni D’Agostino, who had been left unmarked by the home defence and was free to head the ball diagonally into the back of the net, beating Fotios Pseftis. At the other end, Lendrit Shala and Yuri Peverelli created a couple of chances to go into the break with the lead, but their attempts narrowly missed the target.
Early in the second half, the home side were dealt a crushing blow. After Pseftis parried Michel De Jesus’s left-footed shot, the score was turned on its head from the resulting corner. Once again, D’Agostino was on hand in the centre of the box; he headed the ball powerfully, and with equal force, Shala deflected it into his own net for an unfortunate own goal. The Lugano side’s response was immediate, and a double free-kick in the box – following a misunderstanding between Morosoli and Samuel Delli Carri – allowed Nicolò Puddu to try a curling right-footed shot, which was blocked a couple of metres from the goal line.
Milad Amirzade and his team-mates were not about to give up and kept up the pressure. A left-footed shot from Ilija Maslarov was deflected decisively off Delli Carri’s back, sparing the visitors the worst. Shortly afterwards, in the 70th minute, the most spectacular moment of the match unfolds. Frizzi tenaciously wins the ball back in his own half, plays it out wide to Puddu, who in turn plays a through ball for the onrushing Peverelli. Having reached the byline, the talented attacking winger crossed into the six-yard box, where Jason Parente made no mistake in scoring his first goal for the bianconeri, levelling the score at 2–2. In the remaining time, one shot on target from each side – a confident save by Pseftis from Liam Bollati’s diagonal effort and a diving block by Morosoli to deny Puddu’s powerful right-footed strike – left the score unchanged. In the league table, the team took a small but significant step forward, moving up to 11 points and increasing the gap to the relegation zone by one point (the gap to Grand-Saconnex of Geneva widened from 7 to 8, whilst the gap to Vevey of Vaud went from 10 to 11).
‘The draw is a fair result. It was a tough, hard-fought match from both sides. We’re pleased because we’re managing to string together a series of positive performances. It’s true we haven’t won in a while, but this is a team that’s finding its feet and needs to understand what it means to draw a derby, to be behind on the scoreboard, to fight back and not concede a third goal – perhaps even ironing out a few minor errors from corner kicks. We were coming off the back of the match in Basel, where we played well, and it wasn’t obvious we’d be facing such a tricky opponent as Paradiso. Ours is a very young squad. Today, apart from a few players born in 2003 and 2004, most were born in 2006 and 2007. They held their own, and that’s a source of satisfaction.
The move that led to the second goal was truly brilliant – a counter-attack where we exploited the space and managed to get into the box with several players. That shows the determination of a team that wasn’t prepared to lose. As things stand, we have to accept the results we’re getting. And if our performances continue like this, along with our commitment and attitude, I’m convinced we’ll have more than a few reasons to be pleased. It’s obvious that at the moment we have to suffer a bit more, because we’re getting less than we deserve.
Young Boys U21? They’re the best youth side in this Promotion League. We’ll be heading to Bern, bearing in mind what my old dad used to say to me: ‘Matches are there to be played, and we’ll play this one too.’
The Coach Andrea Vitali’s ‘immediate’ reactions at the end of the match – which saw his charges record their fifth draw in as many home fixtures this season – hint at the near-future schedule for the young bianconeri, who are set to face their cross-town rivals, the yellow-and-blacks of Young Boys, on Saturday 11 October 2025. The match will kick off at 4.00 pm beneath the roof of the main Wankdorf stadium.
MATCH REPORT
: Hoval Promotion League, Matchday
10 Al Maglio Sports Centre, Canobbio – 400 spectators
FC LUGANO U21 – FC PARADISO 2–2 (1–1)
GOALS: 9′ Frizzi 1:0, 23′ D’Agostino 1:1, 48′ Shala 1:2 (own goal), 70′ Parente 2:2.
FC LUGANO U21 (3-4-3): Pseftis; Krueziu (85′ Molino), Shala, Radić; Peverelli, Amirzade, Maslarov, Angstmann; Parente (91′ Piffero), Puddu (82′ Raffa), Frizzi.
Subs: Mina, Gecaj, Donnini, Lechner.
Manager: Andrea Vitali.
FC PARADISO (3-4-1-2): Morosoli (80’ Abazi); Plisko, Delli Carri, Miranda; Bollati, Guidotti, Centinaro, Benacquista; De Jesus (82’ Morandi); Rasić, D’Agostino (92’ Edougue).
Subs: Sylaj, Agougil, Soldo, Pizzagalli.
Manager: Vincenzo Saladino.
REFEREE: Maurizio Londino.
ASSISTANT REFEREES: Denys Greder and Anastasios Katsikis.
BOOKINGS: 6′ Radić, 37′ Miranda, 68′ Krueziu, 69′ Delli Carri, 87′ Amirzade.