Match report
Steffen strike sends Lugano past Dukagjini in Conference League qualifying
FC Lugano beat Dukagjini 1-0 in the UEFA Europa Conference League second qualifying round, with the only goal coming shortly before the half-hour mark. The result was settled at AIL Arena, where Viktor Shimusik took charge of a contest that swung heavily in the home side's favour.
AI-assisted match report written from official match data.
Renato Steffen put Lugano ahead in the 31st minute, finishing off an assist from Kevin Behrens to make it 1-0, and that scoreline held through to half-time. Lugano dominated the second half territorially without adding to their tally, while Dukagjini's task grew harder in the 87th minute when A. Rexhaj was shown a red card, leaving the visitors to see out the closing stages a man light.
Lugano's control of possession and their volume of shots reflected a one-sided display, though they were unable to turn that dominance into a bigger margin of victory. Dukagjini offered little in reply for long periods but stayed in the tie until the late dismissal effectively ended their resistance.
Steffen scored the game's decisive goal and finished with a rating of 8.7, the highest of any player on the pitch.
Lugano's 72% share of possession underlined how thoroughly they controlled the game against Dukagjini.
FC Lugano beat Dukagjini 1–0 (half-time 1–0).
FC Lugano met Dukagjini in the UEFA Europa Conference League (2nd Qualifying Round). Kick-off was Thursday, 23 July 2026, 18:30 UTC at AIL Arena. Referee: Viktor Shimusik.
Team pages: FC Lugano · Dukagjini · UEFA Europa Conference League
Key moments
- 31' Goal: Renato Steffen (assist: Kevin Behrens) — 1–0 · Watch Renato Steffen's goal video (31')
- 88' Red card: Arvanit Rexhaj
Starting line-ups
FC Lugano (3-4-2-1)
Dukagjini (4-4-2)
- 1 Egzon Lekaj
- 1 E. Lekaj
- 44 T. Bardhoku
- 14 Egzon Sinani
- 14 E. Sinani
- 5 E. Basri
- 5 Elton Basriu (c)
- 77 Vitor Hugo
- 77 Vitor Hugo
- 10 A. Merlaku
- 10 Altin Merlaku
- 8 K. Gashi
- 47 Dienit Isufi
- 47 D. Isufi
- 23 Iljasa Zulfiu
- 99 Steevenson Jeudi
- 17 M. Pefqeli
Sirius · Why these numbers
Before kick-off Sirius gave FC Lugano 74%, the draw 17%, Dukagjini 9%. It finished FC Lugano 1–0 Dukagjini.
FC Lugano's rating gap decides it — FC Lugano are clearly the stronger side on our strength rating, and that is most of FC Lugano's 74%. The draw at 17% is about what a gap this size usually leaves.
Why FC Lugano at 74%?
FC Lugano sit 412 points higher on our strength rating — 1515 to 1103. Sides with a more than 300-point rating edge at home won 79.8% of 5,015 such games. The 300 most similar past games finished 72–18–10.
Why not higher?
No scored evidence points the other way. 74% is what this rating gap has been worth in games like these; the rest is the draw at 17% and Dukagjini at 9%.
Why is the draw only 17%?
With a rating gap this size the draw starts at 16.9%. Not enough recent scoring data to set the goals dial — the draw stays at the class table's rate.
What did we measure but not count?
Dukagjini have 4 fully-tracked matches with us — under our usual 25-game bar — but their strength rating is anchored to a conservative baseline from the long-run European club ratings list, which carries their wider competitive history into the number. Clubs from leagues we don't fully cover play too few tracked games for a record built from scratch, so their rating chain starts from published long-run club ratings instead of a blind first guess.
Sirius probabilities, frozen at kick-off. Analysis, not betting advice. How Sirius is doing this season · Full breakdown, evidence cards and squad news in the Match Insights tab
About this match
On this page: the FC Lugano vs Dukagjini final score and result, goal highlights and video clips of every goal, who scored, starting lineups, match stats and the full match report from this UEFA Europa Conference League fixture.
- Who scored and when — a goal-by-goal timeline of the match.
- Match stats — possession, shots, expected goals (xG), corners and cards.
- Starting lineups and player ratings for both teams.
- Head-to-head record and recent form for both sides.
Watch the goals: goal highlights and video clips of every goal from FC Lugano 1–0 Dukagjini. Explore more on the FC Lugano and Dukagjini team pages or the UEFA Europa Conference League page.
Quick answers
›What was the final score of FC Lugano vs Dukagjini?
FC Lugano beat Dukagjini 1–0 (half-time 1–0).
›Who scored in FC Lugano vs Dukagjini?
Renato Steffen (31') for FC Lugano.
›Where can I watch FC Lugano vs Dukagjini highlights?
Goal highlights and video clips from FC Lugano 1–0 Dukagjini are on this page — open the videos tab to watch every goal.
›What is the head-to-head record between FC Lugano and Dukagjini?
FC Lugano and Dukagjini have met 1 time — 1 win for FC Lugano, 0 wins for Dukagjini and 0 draws.