FC Lugano will kick off their European adventure on Thursday, hosting CFR Cluj at the Stockhorn Arena in the first leg of their Europa League second qualifying round encounter.

The visiting side got past Paks 3-0 on aggregate in the first qualifying round, while this fixture is the first competitive encounter for the hosts since May.

Match preview

Lugano booked their place in this season’s Europa League qualifying round after they finished fourth in the 2024-25 Swiss Super League. While that appears to be a decent end to the campaign, the Black and White will be disappointed with how their season turned out.

Last term, the Pride of Ticino were in the running for the Swiss title, having been top of the standings after 24 matches, but their season began to unravel from that point on.

Although they managed to hold their own to qualify for the championship round, a couple of defeats, two draws, and a solitary win effectively ended their title hopes.

Seeking to feature in the group stage for the first time since the 2019-20 season, the home side will have their work cut out against an experienced opponent on Thursday.

However, they can bank on their solid home form, remaining unbeaten in five games across all competitions, winning the last three fixtures in that run.

Nevertheless, the home side are not up to scratch physically, due to their lack of competitive action since May.

The Railwaymen have endured a four-season stretch without the Romanian league title since their triumph in the 2021-22 season, and this story is no different on the European stage.

For the current European campaign, CFR Cluj earned their place in the Europa League qualification series by finishing second in the Romanian top flight last season.

The visitors were up against Hungarian side Paks in the first qualifying round, but they made light work of their foes to set up a clash with Lugano.

With the stakes higher and facing a stronger side at this stage of the competition, the visitors will be concerned about their away form, as they are winless in three games on the road, having lost once and scored only once during that time.

However, they can draw some confidence from their experience, having reached the group stage in the 2009-10 and 2020-21 seasons.

Lugano friendlies form:

CFR Cluj form (all competitions):

Team News

Lugano have signed a lot of new players ahead of the new season, but most of them are not expected to be named in the starting XI.

However, Antonios Papadopoulos and Ahmed Kendouci, both of whom just teamed up with Mattia Croci-Torti’s team, are expected to feature from the start.

As for the visiting side, Lindon Emerllahu and Mohammed Kamara are unavailable for this fixture.

In the absence of the above-stated duo, Damjan Dokovic and Alin Fica are likely to step up on Thursday.

Lugano possible starting lineup:

Saipi; Valenzuela, Haidari, Mai, Papadopoulos; Zanotti, Dos Santos, Kendoucii, Grgic; Aliseda, Kousias

CFR Cluj possible starting lineup:

Hindrich; Bolgado, Camora, Abeid, Rocha; Dokovic, Paun, Fica, Nkololo; Postolachi, Camara

We say: Lugano 1-1 CFR Cluj

This fixture has all the trappings of a keenly contested match, with both sides looking to establish a healthy lead ahead of the second leg.

CFR Cluj are in fine fettle, having won both legs of their first qualifying round fixture and are unbeaten in their opening two league matches.

Lugano, on the other hand, are playing their first competitive match, but match fitness could be an issue; however, they are strong enough to hold their own on Thursday.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.

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