The thirteenth round of fixtures in the current Hoval Promotion League season features a cantonal derby between Lugano U-21 and Bellinzona. The match takes place at the Al Maglio Sports Centre in Canobbio, which, as expected, draws a large crowd for an intense contest that, at the final whistle, sees each side take a point.
With the usual absences of the long-term injured players Alessio Chiesa, Jason Parente, Nicolò Puddu and Ian Tiraboschi, manager Andrea Vitali fielded a starting eleven using the same 3-4-3 formation – a system that allows the players to maintain a strong presence across every area of the pitch and which had proved successful the previous week against Grand-Saconnex. The only changes to the starting line-up were the inclusion of Luca Molino (who took over the captain’s armband from Nicola Gamba) and Gjan Ajdin in place of Daniel Leo and Joakim Migliorati.
The match, played on the very day when the clocks were set back by sixty minutes – due to the switch, as is customary at this time of year, from summer time to winter time – began with the Granata, fresh from their midweek victory over Brühl, attempting to intimidate the young bianconeri. A superb tackle by Luca Molino on Manuel Shkodriqi and a timely block by Milad Amirzade on Yohan Aymon between the fourth and eighth minutes were the first of numerous moments worthy of note in the record of chances.
Subsequently, the home side flexed their muscles in Ulisse Pelloni’s area. Whilst Aaron Davis’s right-footed shot from the edge of the box went wide, Ajdin’s effort was decidedly more dangerous and ended up hitting the side netting. Bryan Zurmühle’s low shot, set up by Andrea Riva, posed no threat to the Sopracenerino goalkeeper, who saved it comfortably. The home side’s main striker then laid the ball off with class to the onrushing Christian Raffa, whose run ended with a left-footed shot that flew just over the crossbar. Zurmühle’s header from Ajdin’s corner met the same fate.
The visitors threatened again near Diego Mina’s goal with a free-kick from Pablo Ceppelini, which was tipped away by an alert Lugano goalkeeper. Shortly after the half-hour mark, at the other end, Riva was brought down inside the opposition’s penalty area. Despite the protests, referee Alexander Tester did not blow his whistle, allowing play to continue. This moment was a preview of what happened in the 38th minute, when Raffa produced a splendid solo run, cutting across towards the ‘D’ and firing a left-footed shot that left Pelloni with no chance. Pelloni is thus forced to gather the ball from the back of the net, whilst the Maglio erupts with joy at their heroes’ well-deserved lead. For the number 10, it is his sixth goal of the season and the team’s third in a row.
Once back from the changing rooms, and following a booking for Davis, there were two golden opportunities to effectively seal the match. First, a left-footed volley from Leon Rüeger failed to find the target, sailing wide. Then, a penalty-style shot on the run from Riva, following a clever lay-off from Zurmühle, ended up spectacularly over the bar. In between, Gamba made a superb recovery on Aymon after Raffa lost possession near the halfway line. The determination to take home all three points was such that it was the team from the Lower Ticino who looked the more convinced. Ajdin and Raffa (the latter of whom could have played a through ball to Rüeger instead of going for a shot himself) tried to build on the attacking move, but were unable to find the net again.
A left-footed shot from the newly-substituted Lamine Ndiaye that went well wide and a header from Rron Krueziu that sailed over the bar created further chances just past the hour mark, whilst Claudio Cassano’s right-footed effort missed the target by a matter of centimetres. Mina’s sliding tackle on Ndiaye (who would leave the pitch shortly afterwards due to injury) heralded another spate of opportunities for the bianconeri. A swift counter-attack involving Ajdin, Zurmühle and Cassano allowed the talented Italian to unleash a pinpoint right-footed shot, which Pelloni tipped away for a corner. Once again, the latter two players were the protagonists of the next chance. The striker’s header was central and easy to read. The player, who had arrived in Ticino from Chicago Fire, sought personal glory with a pair of close-range attempts (one saved and the other wide).
At this stage, securing victory seemed a mere formality for the Lugano side, who controlled the game as they saw fit. However, they had not reckoned with a naive mistake by Amirzade (who immediately realised his error), who brought down an opponent inside his own penalty area, leaving the referee with no option but to award a penalty. Ceppelini stepped up to take the penalty and fired it straight down the middle, beating Mina. In stoppage time, in addition to two yellow cards shown to Tommaso Centinaro and Alexander Giger (for a dangerous tackle with both feet on Cassano in the final third), the same No. 99 gave Pelloni a few scares, forcing him into a save from the final free-kick of the match.
The 1–1 scoreline at the final whistle sees both sides take a point each. For Lugano U-21, who have shared the spoils with their opponents for the first time this season, the league table now shows 13 points from as many matches this season. The next opportunity to add to that tally comes on Saturday 31 October 2026. Kicking off at 5.00 pm, the young bianconeri will face their neighbours from Zurich at the Heerenschürli ground in Zurich.
Meanwhile, manager Andrea Vitali offered his customary post-match comments: “Overall, the match did not suggest that the draw was a fair result. Given the chances we created, the result should have been different. We failed to score the second goal and were punished in the closing stages. When you don’t manage to double your lead, you don’t pick up the three points. That’s the main regret, though it only concerns the result. Because the match was played exceptionally well and the lads were brilliant. We’re pleased with our performance and with our lads, who once again rose to the occasion. After that minor slip-up at home against Kreuzlingen, we’re getting back on track. Ultimately, it always comes down to results. The team is gaining valuable experience. This is evident from the inclusion of two 16-year-olds and two 17-year-olds. It’s a real ‘plus’ for us. It’s our policy. We have to fight right to the end, but we know that already. However, I can’t hide the fact that we’re happy about it.”
MATCH REPORT
Hoval Promotion League, Matchday 13
Al Maglio Sports Centre, Canobbio – 500 spectators
FC LUGANO U-21 – AC BELLINZONA 1–1 (1–0)
GOALS: 38’ Raffa 1–0, 90’ Ceppelini 1–1 (penalty).
FC LUGANO U-21 (3-4-3): Mina; Gamba, Krueziu, Molino (46’ Alsheikh); Davis, Amirzade, Ajdin (82’ Gervasini), Rüeger; Raffa, Zurmühle, Riva (66’ Cassano).
Substitutes: Gerosa, Radić, Migliorati, Frizzi.
Manager: Andrea Vitali.
AC BELLINZONA (4-1-4-1): Pelloni; Mihajlovic, Paolini, Dërmaku (77’ Carpani), Canzian; Shehu (56’ Centinaro); Kadriu (56’ Esposito), Ceppelini, Zaic, Aymon; Shkodriqi (56’ Ndiaye/77’ Giger).
Substitutes: Trochen, Ahmeti.
Manager: Riccardo Abbenante.
REFEREE: Alexander Tester.
ASSISTANT REFEREES: Silvan Gorrengourt and Alper Keleş.
BOOKINGS: 26’ Amirzade, 40’ Molino, 49’ Davis, 67’ Esposito, 90’ +2’ Centinaro, 90’ +4’ Giger.