Lugano kicked off their Conference League campaign with a deserved 3-0 win against Finnish underdogs HJK Helsinki.
Antonios Papadopoulos scored with a long-range shot from around 25 meters after half an hour, Martim Marques scored on the follow-up after just under an hour and Daniel Dos Santos in stoppage time in exile in Thun.
The superior Ticino side, who have great ambitions in the European Cup, missed further chances. Mattia Bottani hit the far post with a shot in the 9th minute, Uran Bislimi made it 1-0 after a quarter of an hour from close range and Renato Steffen shot over the goal from around seven meters before taking the lead.
Despite the missed chances, Lugano's "home win" in the sparsely filled Stockhorn Arena, more than two hours away by bus, was never in danger. In the coming rounds, however, the resistance is likely to be greater. "Of our opponents, there are three teams with a lot of quality and roughly the same level as us. Helsinki is probably the team we really want to beat," said Lugano coach Mattia Croci-Torti in the run-up to the game.
Lugano next travel to Mlada Boleslav on October 24. The Czechs started with a 2-0 defeat against Noah Yerevan in Armenia. The other opponents will be Backa Topola (away), Gent (home), Legia Warsaw (a) and Pafos from Cyprus (h).
The telegram
Lugano - HJK Helsinki 3:0 (1:0)
Thun. - SR Dickinson (SCO). - Goals: 34. Papadopoulos 1:0. 56. Marques 2:0. 92. Dos Santos 3:0.
Lugano: Saipi; Zanotti, Papadopoulos, Hajdari, Marques (88. El Wafi); Bislimi (65. Dos Santos), Grgic, Belhadj (77. Doumbia); Steffen, Bottani (65. Przybylko), Aliseda (65. Mahou).
HJK Helsinki: Nijhuis; Lyons-Foster, Antzoulas, O'Shaughnessy, Pallas; Bandé, Kökcü (88. Meriluoto), Halme (60. Palumets), Kanellopoulos (75. Tanaka), Hostikka (60. Möller); Erwin (75. Plange).
Remarks: Lugano without Valenzuela and Vladi (both injured). Cautions: 8. Hajdari.
The live ticker for review
FC Lugano
HJK
- Antonios Papadopoulos - 1:0 (34.)
- Martim Marques - 2:0 (56.)
- Daniel Dos Santos - 3:0 (90.+2.)
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Liveticker
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Liveticker closed
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91.
Goal Lugano 3:0 through Dos Santos
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56.
Goal Lugano 2:0 through Marques
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34.
Goal Lugano 1:0 through Papadopoulos
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9.
Bottani only hits the post
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90.+5.End of 2nd half
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90.+2.Goal for FC Lugano, 3:0 through Daniel Dos Santos (Kacper Przybylko)
Daniel Dos Santos
Midfielder
Assist: Kacper Przybylko
Striker
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88.Substitution in HJK
Kai Meriluoto
Striker
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88.Substitution out HJK
Ozan Kökcü
Midfielder
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88.Substitution in FC Lugano
Ayman El Wafi
Defender
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88.Substitution out FC Lugano
Martim Marques
Defender
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77.Substitution in FC Lugano
Ousmane Doumbia
Midfielder
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77.Substitution out FC Lugano
Hadj Mahmoud
Midfielder
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75.Substitution in HJK
Luke Plange
Striker
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75.Substitution out HJK
Lee Erwin
Striker
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75.Substitution in HJK
Atomu Tanaka
Midfielder
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75.Substitution out HJK
Giorgos Kanellopoulos
Midfielder
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65.Substitution in FC Lugano
Hicham Mahou
Midfielder
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65.Substitution out FC Lugano
Ignacio Aliseda
Striker
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65.Substitution in FC Lugano
Daniel Dos Santos
Midfielder
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65.Substitution out FC Lugano
Uran Bislimi
Midfielder
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65.Substitution in FC Lugano
Kacper Przybylko
Striker
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65.Substitution out FC Lugano
Mattia Bottani
Striker
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60.Substitution in HJK
Liam Moller
Midfielder
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60.Substitution out HJK
Santeri Hostikka
Midfielder
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60.Substitution in HJK
Kevor Palumets
Midfielder
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60.Substitution out HJK
Aapo Halme
Midfielder
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56.Goal for FC Lugano, 2:0 through Martim Marques
Martim Marques
Defender
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46.Kick-off 2nd half
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45.+3.End of 1st half
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34.Goal for FC Lugano, 1:0 through Antonios Papadopoulos (Anto Grgic)
Antonios Papadopoulos
Defender
Assist: Anto Grgic
Midfielder
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8.Yellow card FC Lugano
Albian Hajdari
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1.Start of the match