Swiss league leaders Lugano hosts Cypriot league leaders Pafos FC in the final matchday of Conference League league phase on Thursday night.
Both teams are in contention to finish in the top eight, with Lugano needing just a point, but Pafos needing a win, setting up a very enticing encounter in Thun.
Match preview
![FC Lugano Coach Mattia Croci Torti during his side's game against FC Basel at Stadion St Jakob Park Basel, SWITZERLAND on July 27, 2024 [on August 6, 2024]](https://sm.imgix.net/24/32/mattia-croci-torti.jpg?w=640&h=480&auto=compress,format&fit=clip "FC Lugano Coach Mattia Croci Torti during his side's game against FC Basel at Stadion St Jakob Park Basel, SWITZERLAND on July 27, 2024 [on August 6, 2024]")
© Imago
Lugano are now well fancied to advance directly through to the last 16 following their excellent 2-1 win away to Legia Warsaw on matchday five.
The Polish side had not dropped a single point or even conceded a goal until Lugano travelled to the capital and came from a goal down to win, moving them up into the top eight and onto 12 points.
While it has been a brilliant campaign so far for Mattia Croci-Torti's men, beating HJK Helsinki, Mlada Boleslav and Gent too, losing 4-1 away to TSC remains hugely frustrating, considering that is still their only win of the league phase so far.
This group of players have already made history though, becoming the first Lugano side to progress past this stage of a European competition, and all that is left is for them is to skip out the playoff round by claiming a result here.
Croci-Torti has overseen some bruising defeats in recent weeks, though, which have threatened to damage morale, such as the TSC loss, as well as a 3-0 defeat at Servette and a 4-1 hammering at home to Lausanne at the weekend.
© Imago
Lugano remain top by one point in the Swiss Super League, but all focus will now shift to their first meeting with a Cypriot club.
For Pafos, in their debut European campaign, this will be a first meeting against a Swiss side, and a win will see them exceed pre-tournament expectations and reach the last 16 directly.
Like their opponents, they have also made history, because a knockout place is in the bag for them for the first time, but this ambitious club will be seeking more.
With nine points from five games, Juan Carlos Carcedo's men have got the job done against similar level and weaker opponents such as Petrocub, Astana and Celje, but have come up short against the strength of Fiorentina and Heidenheim.
They were slightly fortunate last time out in Europe against Celje, who missed a first-half penalty, and eventually went down 2-0 in Kolossi, but that result catapulted Pafos up the 36-team standings, which are heavily congested in mid-table.
Four defeats from their five Conference League away games this season is cause for concern, but they did win 2-0 on the road domestically at the weekend, seeing off Nea Salamis to move four points clear at the top of the Cypriot top flight.
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Team News
![Mattia Croci-Torti football coach of Lugano at the qualification match for the UEFA Europa League against Partizan at the Partizan stadium, Belgrade, on August 8, 2024 [on August 13, 2024]](https://sm.imgix.net/24/33/mattia-croci-torti.jpg?w=640&h=480&auto=compress,format&fit=clip "Mattia Croci-Torti football coach of Lugano at the qualification match for the UEFA Europa League against Partizan at the Partizan stadium, Belgrade, on August 8, 2024 [on August 13, 2024]")
© Imago
Lugano's Boris Babic is a doubt for this one, while striker Ignacio Aliseda is set to miss out with a muscle problem sustained just after scoring in three straight games in early November.
Anto Grgic will be available for the hosts once again, though, after missing the weekend's defeat to Lausanne, and he registered an assist in the matchday five win over Legia a week ago.
Pafos have a fully fit squad for this trip to Switzerland, and could revert back to the team that beat Celje after some rotation in the league win at the weekend.
Captain Jairo did start though, and should lead the line again, having scored in his last three away matches, but former West Ham United, Watford and Rotherham United midfielder Domingos Quina is set to drop back down to the bench despite also scoring against Nea Salamis.
Lugano possible starting lineup:
Saipi; Zanotti, Papadopoulos, Hajdari, Valenzuela; Grgic, Belhadj, Bislimi; Steffen, Bottani, Mahou
Pafos FC possible starting lineup:
Ivusic; Bruno, Goldar, Luckassen, Pileas, Dragomir; Joao Correia, Pepe, Sunjic, Tankovic; Jairo
We say: Lugano 3-2 Pafos FC
Neither team can afford to be cautious with both needing a result, and the potential to move into second place should encourage Lugano to go for the three points here.
Pafos must win if they want to break into the top eight, but poor away form on the continent suggests they may come up just short here, even though a knockout spot is already secured.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Andrew Delaney
