Last season's Swiss Super League runners-up Lugano start the 2024-25 season at home to Grasshopper Zurich at Cornaredo Stadium.
The away side narrowly avoided relegation and aim for a stronger start against a side without a league crown since 1949.
Match preview
Lugano must still feel disappointed at failing to secure the league crown last season even if there was a large distance from eventual champions BSC Young Boys.
Bianconeri finished the previous season 12 points behind the champions, but closer inspection highlights how their season was undermined by a leaky rearguard that conceded 51 goals — 17 more than the champions, eight more than third-placed Servette and 10 more than fourth-placed FC Zurich.
The upshot of letting in that many meant the Pride of Ticino could not turn defeats into draws or victories — 13 losses was six more than Young Boys and eclipsed other clubs in the top four — even though they claimed 20 wins to the Bern outfit's 23.
Mattia Croci-Torti's men start the new campaign keen to avoid the mistakes of the previous season, as they aim to make another push for the title after last season's second-place finish.
The Bianconeri have ended runners-up more times (six) than they have clinched the title (three), and they hope to end a 75-year wait this term.
Welcoming Grasshoppers could pose challenges for last season's runners-up, who struggled against Marco Schallibaum's men.
The Hoppers lost once, played out a draw and lost one in three meetings with Lugano in 2023-24, securing a creditable point in the corresponding fixture which ended goalless.
Despite their rich history underscored by a record 27 Swiss league titles, Grasshoppers were lucky to escape relegation last season, needing a playoff victory against FC Thun to secure their top-flight status.
The Hoppers hope for a superior start this term after losing six of their opening nine league fixtures in 2023-24.
However, their far-from-encouraging pre-season results – Schallibaum's side suffered two defeats in their four matches (one victory) — may not bode well for the imminent campaign if results do not improve.
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- L
