FC Lugano vs Besiktas Preview

Turkish side Besiktas will travel to the Stadio di Cornaredo this Thursday to face Switzerland side Lugano in the first leg of the final play-off round of the 2024/25 Europa League group stage.

Lugano booked their place in this round of the Europa League courtesy of a narrow 3-2 win over Partizan in the last round. A 1-0 win away from home made it easier for them to beat Partizan as they were held to a 2-2 draw at home, making it just one win from their last four home games.

So, fans may be worried that another home disappointment is on the cards here, especially as Lugano have conceded 2+ goals in three of their last four competitive games at home. That said, it is not only at home they struggle defensively.

The hosts have kept just one clean sheet in their last 13 games so even when scoring seven at the weekend in a 7-1 win over Bruhl, they still conceded first. Not conceding here could be the only way out for Mattia Croci-Torti’s men to stand a chance in this tie ahead of the return leg next week.

However, they face an opponent in good form. Besiktas travel to Switzerland on a three-game winning run. Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side have scored 2+ goals in each of those games, keeping two clean sheets.

So, keeping them at bay may be a difficult thing for Lugano. Moreover, the Eagles did not concede in each of their two away games this season, scoring seven goals in that period. Yet, they struggled on their road trips at the tail end of last season, winning just one of their last eight away games (D4, L4), suggesting that it may not be a straightforward game at the Stadio di Cornaredo.