FC Lugano's remarkable run of three straight wins in the competition is set to be severely tested, as the Swiss side has named an entirely changed starting eleven with all 11 regulars missing. Maccabi Tel Aviv enter the playoff round on the back of three wins from four, and their…
Sign in for full analysis →Sign in to view how our call changed
Sign inFC Lugano welcome Maccabi Tel Aviv to their usual Stadio di Cornaredo home in Lugano on Thursday, August 20, for the first leg of the 2026-27 UEFA Europa Conference League playoff round. A place in the new league phase is on offer over two legs for the Swiss side and their Israeli visitors.
No fresh injury concerns have been reported from either camp in the immediate build-up to this first leg. The quick turnaround from the third qualifying round makes squad rotation a possibility, but both clubs are expected to field their strongest available lineups given the prize at stake. The source articles do not cite any suspensions or confirmed absentees for this fixture.
Lugano booked their spot in the playoff round by overturning a first-leg deficit against a stubborn opponent. After suffering a 2-2 away draw on August 13 that left them trailing on aggregate with thirty minutes to play, they dug in to emerge with a 4-2 aggregate victory. That fightback followed a professional 2-0 home win in the first meeting on August 6.
Earlier in the campaign, Mattia Croci-Torti's side swept aside Dukagjini over two legs, recording a 1-0 home victory on July 23 before a rampant 5-1 away success in Kosovo on July 29. Their most recent Swiss Super League result—a 2-1 home win against Grasshopper Club Zürich in late September 2025—suggests a team that has grown used to finding ways to win tight contests at Cornaredo.
The Israeli club arrive in Ticino via a dramatic path through the Europa League qualifiers. Maccabi Tel Aviv were beaten 3-0 at home by CSKA Sofia on August 6 but produced a stunning turnaround in the return leg, winning 3-1 in Bulgaria on August 13 to squeeze through 4-3 on aggregate. That resilience on the road is a trait they also showed earlier in the summer, putting five goals past Shelbourne in an away tie on July 23 before finishing the job with a 1-0 home result on July 30.
Zarko Lazetic's men have tasted group-stage football before, having featured in the 2025-26 UEFA Europa League league phase, and that experience could prove valuable in managing a two-legged European tie.
The contest is likely to hinge on whether Lugano can re-establish the defensive control they showed at home earlier in qualifying. Croci-Torti's side kept clean sheets in both of their home fixtures in the second and third qualifying rounds, and a repeat on Thursday would give them a strong foothold ahead of the return leg. Maccabi Tel Aviv's ability to score away from home—eight goals across two road trips already in 2026-27 qualifying—suggests that particular battle will not be settled quietly.
The winners over two legs advance to the 2026-27 UEFA Europa Conference League league phase, entering a 36-team table that guarantees at least six more European nights. The second leg will be played at Maccabi Tel Aviv's Bloomfield Stadium a week later, making a positive home result essential for the Swiss side before they travel to the Mediterranean coast.
Sign in to view match stats
Sign inSign in to view player ratings
Sign inSign in to view lineups
Sign inSign in to view head to head
Sign in
