FC Lugano ended the 2025/26 Brack Super League with a resounding victory. On matchday 38, at the Stadio di Cornaredo, the bianconeri beat FC Basel 1893 4–0 to secure third place in the table and qualify for the UEFA Conference League Q2.
The evening began with a particularly significant moment: in the pre-match build-up, Mattia Bottani received a warm send-off from the Cornaredo crowd on the occasion of his final match in the Club’s colours. The bianconeri’s number 10, a Lugano native and a symbol of the team with over 400 appearances, was greeted by the warmth of his fans before a match that Lugano had already taken control of in the first half.
BEHRENS OPENS THE SCORING
It was a lively start. In the 5th minute, Basel created their first chance through Duranville, who tried a curling right-footed shot from the left: the deflection sent the ball towards the far post for Salah, but von Ballmoos reacted brilliantly to deny the visitors the lead.
Lugano gradually got into the game and in the 9th minute made their presence felt through Bislimi, who shot from distance only to see Salvi tip the ball away for a corner. The resulting corner led to the 1-0: Alioski crossed, Behrens met the ball at the near post and headed the bianconeri into the lead.
Basel’s response came immediately. In the 12th minute, Omeragić threatened twice with headers, first from a free-kick and then from the resulting corner, but on both occasions von Ballmoos was ready for the challenge. Having weathered the storm, Lugano kept their shape and came close to doubling their lead in the 21st minute through Papadopoulos, who won the ball back in his own third, drove forward across the pitch and fired a powerful shot at the near post, only for Salvi to make the save.
After a few minutes of more subdued play, the bianconeri struck again from a corner. In the 36th minute, Steffen delivered a cross into the box, Behrens once again timed his run perfectly to beat the visitors’ defence and headed home at the far post: it was 2-0 and a brace for the striker. At half-time, Lugano went into the dressing room with a two-goal lead.
LUGANO SEAL THE DEAL
The second half began in much the same vein. In the 52nd minute, Steffen scored the third with a solo effort: the number 11 found himself on the edge of the box; his first shot was parried by Omeragić, but the ball fell back to the bianconeri captain, who beat Salvi with a curling left-footed shot to make it 3-0.
Four minutes later came the fourth goal, again following a corner. Alioski’s cross was cleared by the Rossoblù defence, Koutsias collected the ball in the middle of the box and struck a right-footed volley into the far corner, sealing the match once and for all.
In the closing stages, Basel tried to at least score a consolation goal, but Lugano remained compact, defended carefully and protected von Ballmoos’s goal. This secured the bianconeri’s twelfth clean sheet of the season, on an afternoon where everything ended in the best possible way.
The 4-0 win allows Lugano to mathematically secure third place and bid farewell to the season with European qualification already assured. At the final whistle, the team and fans shared a final farewell to the historic Cornaredo ground, whilst the warmest applause was once again for Mattia Bottani, who came on in the 59th minute and was accompanied by the affection of the crowd in his final match in the bianconeri shirt.
MATCH REPORT
FC LUGANO – FC BASEL 1893 4–0
Brack Super League – Matchday
38 17 May 2026 – Cornaredo
Stadium Attendance: 5,179
Goalscorers: 10’ Behrens, 36’ Behrens, 52’ Steffen, 56’ Koutsias
FC LUGANO (4-4-2): von Ballmoos; Zanotti, Papadopoulos, Mai, Delcroix; Cimignani (79’ Pihlström), Belhadj (79’ Kendouci), Bislimi (86’ Ajdin), Alioski; Steffen (59’ Bottani), Behrens (46’ Koutsias).
Substitutes: Saipi, Carbone, Kelvin, Mahou.
Manager: Mattia Croci-Torti.
FC BASEL 1893 (4-3-3): Salvi; Rüegg (46’ Tsunemoto), Omeragić, Dăniliuc, Schmid; Leroy, Bačanin (62’ Shaqiri), Koindredi; Duranville (30’ Šotiček), Ajeti (62’ Koloto), Salah (62’ Cissè).
Substitutes: Widmer D’Autilia, Vouilloz, Kacuri, Rexhaj.
Manager: Stephan Lichtsteiner.
Referee: Urs Schnyder
. Assistant referees: Marco Zürcher and Livio Aschwanden
. Fourth official: Luca Piccolo
. VAR and AVAR: Anojen Kanagasingam and Zrinko Prskalo
. Bookings: Rüegg (BAS), Papadopoulos (LUG), Bačanin (BAS), Zanotti (LUG).