The European adventure resumes on Thursday for Lugano and St. Gallen, who begin the Conference League regular season. This league phase has six days, two fewer than in the Champions League and the Europa League. It will end on December 19.
Returned to this competition after its failure in the Europa League play-off against Besiktas Istanbul, Lugano welcomes HJK Helsinki (currently 3rd in the Finnish championship) to Thun on Thursday at 9:00 p.m. (RTS 2). Mattia Croci-Torti’s men are in good shape: they share 1st place in the Super League standings with Zurich and Lucerne. The Ticino, who played in the group stage of the Conference League in 2023/24 (last place in group D with 4 points), have the means to get off to an excellent start.
The task of Saint-Gall, which qualified by defeating Trabzonspor on penalties in the play-offs at the end of August, promises to be more delicate. And Enrico Maassen’s squad remains with a defeat in the Super League, its third in this 2024/25 financial year, Saturday at Yverdon (1-0). The Brodeurs travel to Belgium to face Cercle Bruges at 6:45 p.m., struggling in their national championship (14th with 8 points).
ats/lper
