Two wins that made winning starts to their 2023-24 Swiss Super League campaigns will lock horns on Saturday evening, with Lugano welcoming St Gallen to Cornaredo Stadium.
Lugano opened their new season with a 3-0 success over Stade Lausanne-Ouchy, while St Gallen will enter the contest off the back of a 2-1 home victory over Basel.
Match preview
Lugano are three-time Swiss Super League champions, but they have not lifted the trophy since 1949.
The Black and Whites enjoyed an impressive 2022-23 campaign, finishing third in the table, boasting a record of 57 points from their 36 matches, which has seen them qualify for the Europa League playoff round.
Mattia Croci-Torti's side made a strong start to the new season on Wednesday evening, recording a 3-0 victory over Stade Lausanne-Ouchy, with Renato Steffen, Zan Celar and Mohammed Amoura on the scoresheet.
Not that the league table means too much at this stage of the campaign, but Lugano sit top of the division, and they will now be looking to make it back-to-back wins at the start of the new season.
Croci-Torti's team have been active this summer in terms of the transfer market, with their biggest signing proving to be centre-forward Shkelqim Vladi, who has joined from FC Aarau, while left-back Martim Marques has also arrived at the club from Sporting Lisbon B.
St Gallen, meanwhile, will also enter this match off the back of an impressive result, having beaten Basel 2-1 in their first match of the new season last weekend.
Espen took the lead in the 38th minute of the contest through Willem Geubbels before Fabian Frei levelled the scores in the 45th minute, but Lukas Gortler came up with a late winner for the hosts.
St Gallen are two-time winners of the Swiss Super League, with their last success coming in 2000, while they finished down in sixth position last season, two points behind fifth-placed Basel, who secured qualification for the Europa Conference League second qualifying round alongside Luzern.
Peter Zeidler's side have also been active this summer in terms of improving their squad, with their standout signing proving to be Betim Fazliji from St Pauli.
There have been two key departures in the shape of Elie Youan and Matej Maglica, meanwhile, with the pair moving to Hibernian and Stuttgart respectively.
Team News
Lugano have a fairly lengthy injury list at this stage of the campaign, with Adrian Durrer, Sebastian Osigwe, Hicham Mahou, Noah De Quieroz and Lars Lukas Mai currently on the sidelines.
Amoura's goal off the bench last time out would certainly have put him in the thoughts of head coach Croci-Torti when it comes to potential changes for this match.
However, Celar also netted in the success over Stade Lausanne-Ouchy, and the number nine is expected to retain his spot in the final third of the field.
St Gallen, meanwhile, will be without the services of Stefano Guidotti, who remains on the sidelines with a muscular problem.
The visitors have no fresh concerns, though, so it would not be a surprise to see the same XI that took to the field for the first whistle against Basel last time out.
Geubbels was withdrawn after 62 minutes of the 2-1 win, but his substitution was precautionary, and the 21-year-old is again expected to operate in a front two with Julian Von Moos.
Lugano possible starting lineup:
Saipi; Hajrizi, Grgic, Hajdari; Arigoni, Bislimi, Sabbatini, Valenzuela; Steffen, Celar, Bottani
St Gallen possible starting lineup:
Zigi; Zanotti, Vallci, Diaby, Schmidt; Quintilla, Fazliji; Gortler, Von Moos, Geubbels, Witzig
We say: Lugano 2-2 St Gallen
This has all of the makings of a very interesting match, and we are predicting goals on Saturday. Both sides were impressive in their campaign openers last time out, but they might be forced to settle for a share of the spoils at Cornaredo Stadium.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Matt Law
