FC Lugano vs 20.08.26 18:302 – 1Full Time
Maccabi Tel Aviv — UEFA Europa Conference League: stats, lineups & analysis
Match report
Lugano edges past Maccabi Tel Aviv in Conference League playoff thriller
FC Lugano beat Maccabi Tel Aviv 2-1 at AIL Arena in the UEFA Europa Conference League playoff round, a result built on a first-half lead and a decisive response after the break. Kevin Behrens gave the home side the advantage in the 31st minute, finishing off a Yanis Cimignani assist to send Lugano in front at the interval.
AI-assisted match report written from official match data.
Maccabi Tel Aviv came out sharper after half-time and drew level almost immediately, Ido Shahar converting a Roy Revivo assist in the 47th minute to make it 1-1. Lugano needed only seven more minutes to restore their lead, Anto Grgić stepping up to score from the penalty spot in the 54th minute and settle the contest at 2-1.
Despite having less of the ball, with 43 percent possession to Maccabi Tel Aviv's 57, Lugano were the more direct side, registering ten shots to their opponents' eight and edging the shots on target count two to one, a reflection of their clinical finishing on the night.
Grgić scored the decisive penalty and finished with a match-high rating of 7.7, while Cimignani also impressed by setting up the opening goal for Behrens.
Maccabi Tel Aviv dominated territorially with 57 percent possession, yet it was Lugano who made their fewer touches count.
FC Lugano beat Maccabi Tel Aviv 2–1 (half-time 1–0).
FC Lugano met Maccabi Tel Aviv in the UEFA Europa Conference League (Playoff round). Kick-off was Thursday, 20 August 2026, 18:30 UTC at AIL Arena. Referee: Milos Milanovic.
Team pages: FC Lugano · Maccabi Tel Aviv · UEFA Europa Conference League
Key moments
- 31' Goal: Kevin Behrens (assist: Yanis Cimignani) — 1–0
- 47' Goal: Ido Shahar (assist: Roy Revivo) — 1–1
- 54' Goal (penalty): Anto Grgić — 2–1
Starting line-ups
FC Lugano (3-4-2-1)
Maccabi Tel Aviv (4-3-3)
- 22 Ofek Melika
- 3 Roy Revivo
- 13 Raz Shlomo
- 5 Mohamed Camara
- 6 Tyrese Asante
- 36 Ido Shahar
- 28 Issouf Sissokho
- 42 Dor Peretz (c)
- 29 Hélio Varela
- 9 Ester Sokler
- 77 Osher Davida
Sirius · Why these numbers
Before kick-off Sirius gave FC Lugano 37%, the draw 28%, Maccabi Tel Aviv 35%. It finished FC Lugano 2–1 Maccabi Tel Aviv.
Home ground outweighs Maccabi Tel Aviv's rating edge — Maccabi Tel Aviv are the stronger side on our strength rating, but home ground plus FC Lugano's control of the ball give FC Lugano the lean. The draw at 28% is about what a gap this size usually leaves.
Why FC Lugano at 37%?
Home ground, against the rating. Maccabi Tel Aviv sit 86 points higher on our strength rating — 1532 to 1618. Sides with a 50–100-point rating edge on the road won 32.9% of 10,520 such games. FC Lugano hold 13 more possession points (57 to 44 in recent games) across a 86-point rating gap. Control now carries a receipt beyond near-equals too: sides with this control edge at a 75–150-point rating gap won 42.6% of 8,598 such games where the class table expected 41.3%.
Why only 37%?
Because Maccabi Tel Aviv are the stronger side on our strength rating. Maccabi Tel Aviv sit -0.45 goals per game below chance-quality — cold streaks like this have bounced back. Visitors this cold went on to win 32.5% of 1,309 games, vs 28.9% for visitors finishing normally.
Why the draw at 28%?
With a rating gap this size the draw starts at 28.3%. These teams' recent games average 3.3 goals — a high-scoring environment. Games in that environment drew 22.8% of 16,946. The goals environment takes 2.4 points off the draw. The control factor adds 1.2 points to the draw.
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 Maccabi Tel Aviv final score and result, 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.
The full match report above covers the goals, key moments and stats. Explore more on the FC Lugano and Maccabi Tel Aviv team pages or the UEFA Europa Conference League page.