05.04.2023 08:10
Swiss Cup men: FC Lugano is in the final again
Defending champion Lugano is again in the final of the Swiss Cup. The Ticino team won away against Servette in Geneva 5:3 in a penalty shoot-out. In the final on Sunday, June 4, at 2:00 p.m. in Wankdorf, there will be a final duel between BSC Young Boys and FC Lugano for the first time ever.
Jonathan Sabbatini scored the deciding goal from the penalty spot for the nerve-racking Luganesi, who were all able to find their attempts in Jérémy Frick’s goal. On the Geneva side, Kevin Mbabu’s attempt went wide of the left post, meaning that Grenat’s drive to catch up went unrewarded.
It was only at the last second that Geneva saved themselves in extra time after Enzo Crivelli had managed to equalize with a desperate shot from the turn in the 96th minute. Previously, the mellow Ticino had looked like the sure winners. Mattia Croci-Torti’s team reacted to the deficit caused by Dereck Kutesa (22nd) in the person of Ignacio Aliseda. First, the 23-year-old Argentinian equalized from a tight angle, then he used an assist from national player Renato Steffen to make it 2-1, which was to last until Crivelli’s desperate shot.
In extra time, the Genevans even had better opportunities to bring about the decision before the penalty shoot-out. But Patrick Plucke failed because of the strongly reacting Sebastian Osigwe in the goal of Lugano.
Servette missed out on giving his outgoing head coach Alain Geiger an appearance in the cup final, which would have been Geneva’s first final in 21 years. Meanwhile, Lugano gets the chance to repeat last year’s coup. At that time, the Ticino team beat St. Gallen 4-1. With the sovereign Super League leader YB, the hurdle on June 4 seems much higher this time.
► All information about the 98th cup final can be found on the event information page
SFV / Keystone-SDA
