FC Lugano vs Young Boys — Match Preview
A massive battle for European places takes place at the Stadio di Cornaredo on Sunday, 21 December 2025. FC Lugano sit 4th in the table with 30 points, just one point ahead of the reigning champions Young Boys, who are struggling in 5th place (29 points). The visitors are in crisis mode after a humiliating 2–6 home defeat to Grasshoppers in midweek, exposing severe defensive frailties. Lugano, meanwhile, have stabilized with back-to-back wins, including a gritty 1–0 victory over Zurich, and will look to pile more misery on the Bernese giants before the winter break.
FC Lugano vs Young Boys — Match Info
- Competition: Swiss Super League (Matchday 19)
- Venue: Stadio di Cornaredo, Lugano (Capacity: 6,330)
- Date: Sunday, 21 December 2025
- Kickoff: 16:30 CET | 15:30 GMT
- Referee: Luca Cibelli (SUI)
FC Lugano vs Young Boys — Match Stakes
FC Lugano (4th — 30 pts):
- Win → Moves to 33 pts; solidifies a top-4 spot and potentially closes gap on leaders
- Draw → Maintains the 1-point buffer over YB; decent result against a big rival
- Loss → Leapfrogged by Young Boys; drops out of the immediate European qualification zone
Young Boys (5th — 29 pts):
- Win → Moves to 32 pts; huge morale boost after the 2–6 disaster; overtakes Lugano
- Draw → Stops the bleeding but leaves defense concerns unresolved
- Loss → Crisis deepens; 38+ goals conceded before Christmas would be alarming
FC Lugano vs Young Boys — Team News
FC Lugano:
- Alioski E. — Out (Foot Injury – Key Loss)
- Mai L. — Out (Suspended – Yellow Card accumulation)
- Bottani M. — Out (Health problems – Captain missing)
- Belhadj M. — Out (International Duty)
- Marques M. — Questionable (Injury)
Young Boys:
- von Ballmoos D. — Out (Injury – Starting GK Missing)
- Raveloson R. — Out (Red Card Suspension – Midfield Engine Missing)
- Hadjam J. — Out (International Duty)
- Colley E. — Out (Ankle Injury)
- Defensive Crisis: With 6 goals conceded last game and key defenders/GK out, the backline is extremely fragile.
FC Lugano vs Young Boys — Team Form (Last 5 Matches)
FC Lugano
- 18/12 — 1–0 vs FC Zurich (Super League)
- 14/12 — 4–2 vs Servette (Super League)
- 07/12 — 0–0 vs Lausanne (Super League)
- 29/11 — 1–1 vs Sion (Super League)
- 26/11 — 1–3 vs St. Gallen (Super League)
Young Boys
- 18/12 — 2–6 vs Grasshoppers (Super League)
- 14/12 — 2–0 vs Luzern (Super League)
- 11/12 — 1–0 vs Lille (Europa League)
- 07/12 — 0–2 vs Sion (Super League)
- 30/11 — 4–4 vs Servette (Super League)
FC Lugano vs Young Boys — Head-to-Head (Last 5 Meetings)
- 31/08/2025 — Young Boys 3–1 Lugano (Super League)
- 24/05/2025 — Lugano 1–1 Young Boys (Super League)
- 23/02/2025 — Young Boys 1–0 Lugano (Super League)
- 10/11/2024 — Young Boys 2–1 Lugano (Super League)
- 27/10/2024 — Lugano 2–0 Young Boys (Super League)
FC Lugano vs Young Boys — Playing XI (Predicted Lineups)
FC Lugano (4-2-3-1)
Saipi; Brault-Guillard, Papadopoulos, Hajdari, Valenzuela; Grgic, Doumbia; Steffen, Bislimi, Cimignani; Przybylko
Young Boys (4-3-3)
Keller; Athekame, Camara, Benito, Blum; Niasse, Ugrinic, Lauper; Virginius, Itten, Males
FC Lugano vs Young Boys — Impact Bench
FC Lugano: Vladi (Goal threat), Mahou (Pace on wing)
Young Boys: Ganvoula (Physical presence), Imeri (Long shots)
FC Lugano vs Young Boys — Tactical Analysis
FC Lugano
Mattia Croci-Torti will look to exploit YB’s shattered confidence. Without Lukas Mai at the back, Lugano might be slightly vulnerable themselves, but their attack (Steffen/Przybylko) is clicking. They will press YB’s backup goalkeeper Marvin Keller high, forcing errors in build-up play.
Young Boys
Patrick Rahmen (or interim) has a massive job to fix the defense overnight. Conceding 10 goals in the last 2 winless league games (4 vs Servette, 6 vs GCZ) is unsustainable. They have the league’s second-best attack (38 scored), so they will likely try to simply outscore Lugano in a chaotic shootout. Expect end-to-end action.
FC Lugano vs Young Boys — Key Battles
- Steffen vs Blum — veteran winger vs attacking fullback
- Przybylko vs Benito — physical duel in the box
- Ugrinic vs Grgic — battle for midfield control
- Saipi vs Itten — Lugano GK needs to stop the aerial threat
FC Lugano vs Young Boys — Spotlight Players
FC Lugano — Renato Steffen
The Swiss international is the creative heartbeat of Lugano. With Bottani out, Steffen’s delivery from set-pieces and wide areas will be the main source of chances.
Young Boys — Filip Ugrinic
In the absence of Raveloson, Ugrinic must take charge of the midfield. He has the quality to drive the team forward, but he needs to offer more defensive protection to a leaking backline.
FC Lugano vs Young Boys — Prediction
FC Lugano 3–2 Young Boys
Young Boys are defensively broken right now, and missing their first-choice goalkeeper and key defensive midfielder only makes things worse. Lugano are solid at home and have the firepower to punish YB’s errors. Expect a high-scoring thriller, with the hosts edging it.
FC Lugano vs Young Boys — Betting Insights
- Over 2.5 Goals — Very Likely (YB games average 4+ goals recently)
- Both Teams to Score — YES
- FC Lugano to Win — Value Bet
FC Lugano vs Young Boys — Where to Watch
- Switzerland: Blue Sport
- International: OneFootball (Select Markets)
FC Lugano vs Young Boys — FAQs
Q: When is the Lugano vs Young Boys match?
A: The match kicks off on Sunday, 21 December 2025, at 16:30 CET.
Q: Why is David von Ballmoos not playing?
A: The Young Boys goalkeeper is ruled out with an injury.
Q: Who is the favorite?
A: Typically Young Boys, but given their recent 2–6 loss and injuries, Lugano are slight favorites at home.
Call to Action — SportsphereArena Community
Will YB concede another hatful?
If you enjoyed this preview, follow SportsphereArena.com for post-match ratings and tactical analysis.
Stay connected for real-time updates across the Swiss Super League.
Stay informed. Stay analytical. Stay in the game.
👇 Comment your score prediction below 👇
