Stade Lausanne-Ouchy and Lugano will both begin their Swiss Super League campaigns when they face each other on Wednesday.
The hosts were promoted from the second tier last season, while Lugano finished third in the top flight.
Match preview
Given that they were competing in the fifth tier of Swiss football as recently as 2014, Stade Lausanne-Ouchy have enjoyed a remarkable rise through the divisions across the last decade.
After spending three seasons in the second tier, former Servette manager Anthony Braizat led Lausanne-Ouchy to the Swiss Super League for the first time in the club's history, which represented an excellent achievement in his first campaign at the club.
They defeated FC Sion 6-2 on aggregate across a two-legged promotion relegation playoff, having missed out on automatic promotion to their local rivals by a solitary point.
Braizat will be fully aware of the challenge awaiting his team at a tougher level of football, but those results alone prove that they are capable of mixing it with their country's more established sides, potentially starting with Wednesday's highly-anticipated match against Lugano.
Indeed, Lugano finished third in the Super League for the third time in the last seven seasons, highlighting their upward momentum as a force in Swiss football over those years.
As such, they will have the chance to compete in the Europa League group stage once again if they can navigate their way through the qualifying playoff round next month, with head coach Mattia Croci-Torti hopeful of cementing his status at the club.
The 41-year-old is already a hugely popular figure in Lugano after helping them win their first Swiss Cup for 29 years in May 2022, before losing to Young Boys in last season's final. It remains to be seen whether he can take Lugano on another level to help them challenge for their first Super League title in 75 years.
Croci-Torti will firmly expect his players to kickoff their season with a positive result in Lausanne on Wednesday, but they will be expecting a raucous atmosphere at Stade Olympique de la Pontaise, which will be hosting a Super League match for the first time.
Team News
After joining from champions Young Boys earlier this month, Mischa Eberhard may have to wait to make his debut for Stade Laussane-Ouchy, as he is struggling with an injury at present.
Of the 11 players that started for the hosts against Sion in their triumphant playoff in May, only Teddy Okou has since departed the club, meaning that Braizat could name a very similar side. New signing Elies Mahmoud is likely to make his debut from the right flank after arriving from Le Havre.
Lugano, meanwhile, could travel without Hicham Mahou, Noah De Queiroz and Lars Lukas Mai due to knocks.
The visitors have acquired nine new players during the transfer window so far, including Shkelqim Vladi and Martim Marques, who have been purchased for more than one million euros combined. Those two are set to make their debuts for the club at some stage in midweek.
Stade Lausanne-Ouchy possible starting lineup:
Da Silva; Gassama, Hajrulahu, Pos, Obexer; Bayard, Akichi; Mahmoud, Qarri, Mulaj; Ajdini
Lugano possible starting lineup:
Saipi; Arigoni, Doumbia, Hajdari, Marques; Sabbatini, Grgic; Bislimi, Steffen, Aliseda; Celar
We say: Stade Lausanne-Ouchy 1-1 Lugano
Although Lugano clearly possess far greater individual quality than their newly-promoted opponents, Stade Lausanne-Ouchy's fans and players alike will be keen to lay down a marker in their first ever Super League match.
We can envisage them starting quickly, particularly if the atmosphere is as strong as expected, before the visitors get themselves back into the game. Sharing the spoils would not be regarded as a bad result for either team in their first game of the season.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Brett Curtis
