Lugano came into the game on Wednesday evening with the feeling of a 4-1 win in St. Gallen, GC with the euphoria of the derby victory. However, none of the teams were able to take the momentum with them. Both found it extremely difficult to create any danger in front of the opponent’s goal in the Cornaredo. The game ended with a fair 0-0 – this game would not have deserved any other result.
In the end, Lugano had 7 shots and GC had 4. The home team had 2 on goal and the visitors had one. The numbers underline that the offensive factions of both teams did not have the best day.
Celar goal doesn’t count
Lugano’s Zan Celar came closest to scoring in the first half, he even scored. The striker suddenly escaped and skillfully finished from a tight angle. However, because he had received the ball with his hand when passing it, referee Johannes von Mandach immediately canceled the goal.
On the Grasshoppers side, it was Dorian Babunski who had the only notable chance to score. However, quite alone in front of Lugano goalie Amir Saipi, he clearly missed a possible lucky punch.
Abubakar’s debut, Steffen’s comeback
Debutant Asumah Abubakar, who came on as a substitute in the 57th minute, was also unable to revive the GC offensive. The 26-year-old particularly stood out against his former club with his successful dribbling including a few tricks.
Renato Steffen was able to celebrate his comeback on the Lugano side. The national team player was substituted on after around an hour and played his first Super League minutes this year. However, he couldn’t set any accents either. The game also ended bitterly for Jhon Espinoza. The Ecuadorian was substituted on in the 22nd minute and replaced again in the 75th.
This is how it goes
The resurgent FC Basel awaits Lugano on Saturday. The game in St. Jakob-Park starts at 8:30 p.m. and you can watch it live on SRF two. The Grasshoppers will play in the canton derby against FC Winterthur on Saturday at 6:00 p.m.