FC Lugano resumed the league campaign exactly where they’d left off before the break: with a 4-0 victory. Following their away win against Lausanne in mid-September, the bianconeri beat Lucerne by the same scoreline at the AIL Arena, in front of 7,721 spectators, cementing their position at the top of the Brack Super League table.
On matchday ten, Mattia Croci-Torti’s side took control of the match from the very start, taking the lead through Daniel Dos Santos and sealing the win in the second half thanks to goals from Beckham Castro, Dos Santos again and Moncada. A victory that gets off to the best possible start a run of eight matches in thirty days across the league, the Swiss Cup and the UEFA Conference League.
DOS SANTOS BREAKS THE DEADLOCK
Lugano started with good intensity and immediately looked to create danger. In the 3rd minute, Cimignani played a low ball towards the near post, where Ajeti tried to divert it but failed to hit the target. Seven minutes later came an even clearer chance: another cross from Cimignani, followed by a rebound, allowed Steffen to shoot from close range, but Bung Meng Freimann slid in to deflect a shot destined for the net over the bar.
However, the opening goal was only a matter of time. In the 12th minute, Lukas Mai played a long ball from defence to find Dos Santos making a deep run; he did well to anticipate Letica’s rush off his line with a precise chip that put Lugano 1–0 up.
Lucerne tried to respond in the 15th minute with a curling shot from Di Giusto, which went wide, but it was still the bianconeri who were creating the best chances. In the 28th minute, Dos Santos played in Zanotti on the left; he cut into the box and found himself one-on-one with Letica, but the visiting goalkeeper managed to parry the Italian winger’s effort.
The match continued at a moderate pace, alternating between periods of possession and sudden bursts of attacking play. Lugano maintained control and came close to doubling their lead in the 40th minute: Steffen crossed from the right and Cimignani, making a run into the box, met the ball with a header that flew just wide of Letica’s right-hand post. The bianconeri thus went into the break one goal ahead.
THREE GOALS IN THE SECOND HALF
The second half began with Marques coming on for Mai, whilst Lugano were still looking for their second goal. In the 50th minute, Dos Santos picked out Ajeti in the box: the striker turned and tried to shoot from a central position, but Bung Meng Freimann was once again decisive, making a last-ditch save to prevent the score from doubling.
Lucerne responded in the 54th minute through Di Giusto, the visitors’ most enterprising player, whose shot from the edge of the box was deflected for a corner. At the other end, in the 60th minute, Cimignani came close to scoring with a header from Grgić’s corner, sending the ball just over the bar.
A minute later came the deserved 2–0. Dos Santos produced a superb solo run down the left, beating two opponents before playing a through ball to Beckham Castro, who had come on just a few minutes earlier. The Colombian rounded Letica and shot towards goal, only for Dantas to deflect the ball into the net.
The second goal allowed the bianconeri to find more space, although Lucerne immediately tried to get back into the game. In the 65th minute, Dantas delivered a dangerous ball into the centre of the box, but neither Owusu nor Kabwit managed to get a winning touch on it.
Croci-Torti’s side continued to create chances, however. In the 76th minute, Beckham Castro broke away on the counter-attack, found himself one-on-one with Letica and tried to catch him off guard at the near post, but the goalkeeper saved with his feet. Two minutes later, the Colombian was back in the thick of the action, this time as the provider: he shielded the ball in the box and played it out to the edge of the area for Dos Santos, whose left-footed shot, deflected by an opponent, caught Letica off guard and made it 3–0. It was the number 27’s second goal of the evening.
Lugano weren’t satisfied and scored their fourth goal in the 87th minute. A long ball from von Ballmoos turned into an assist for Moncada’s run in behind, as he entered the box and beat Letica with a left-footed shot across goal. In the closing stages, there was still time for a shot from Di Giusto, which von Ballmoos dealt with promptly, keeping a clean sheet.
The 4–0 final score allows FC Lugano to continue their winning run and retain top spot in the table, immediately regaining their rhythm and clinical finishing after the long international break. For the bianconeri, attention now turns to their next fixture: on Thursday 15 October, again at the AIL Arena, Red Star Belgrade visit for the opening matchday of the League Phase of the UEFA Conference League.
MATCH REPORT
: FC LUGANO – FC LUZERN 4–0
Brack Super League – Matchday
10, 10 October 2026 – AIL Arena
Attendance: 7,721
Goalscorers: 12’ and 78’ Dos Santos, 61’ B. Castro, 87’ Moncada.
FC LUGANO (3-4-2-1): von Ballmoos; Delcroix, Mai (46’ Marques), Papadopoulos; Zanotti, Dos Santos (83’ Kedouci), Grgić, Karimov (74’ Kelvin); Cimignani, Steffen (57’ Beckham Castro); Ajeti (57’ Moncada).
Substitutes: Gebhardt, Alioski, Bichsel, Behrens.
Manager: Mattia Croci-Torti.
FC LUZERN (4-2-2-2): Letica; B. H. Freimann (46’ Dorn), Knežević, B. M. Freimann, Dantas; Zimmermann (83’ Winkler), Bertone; Owusu (67’ Toggenburger), Di Giusto; Kabwit (79’ Silva), Mikolajewski (67’ Villiger).
Substitutes: Simoni, Lüthi, Oehlers, Grbić.
Manager: Jorg Portmann.
Referee: Anojen Kanagasingam
. Assistant referees: Bastian Lengacher and Christophe Loureiro
. Fourth official: Johannes von Mandach
. VAR and AVAR: Sven Wolfensberger and Joël Brunner
Booked: Karimov (LUG), Dos Santos (LUG), Steffen (LUG), Knezevic (LUG), Bertone (LUZ).