Basel vs Lugano Prediction: Determined Basel won’t have it easy this time

St. Jakob-Park is set to host the Swiss Super League clash between Basel and Lugano in round 22. In their previous encounter, Basel secured a 1-3 victory on the road. The question now arises whether Lugano will seek retaliation or if Basel will aim to narrow the gap with the Championship Group in this upcoming match.

Basel will be seeking another victory following their 1-3 Super League triumph against Winterthur. In that match, Basel dominated with 66% possession and registered 29 attempts at goal, with 10 on target. Thierno Barry (13', 72') and Renato Veiga (91') were the scorers for Basel, while Winterthur managed 9 shots at goal, with Loïc Lüthi (79') finding the net.

Basel's recent defensive performances have been solid, conceding only 3 goals in their last 6 games. Heading into this encounter, Basel holds an unbeaten record against Lugano in the league, having secured positive results in their previous 3 matches against them.

In their recent Super League fixture, Lugano played to a 0-0 draw against Zürich. Lugano maintained 68% possession and attempted 7 shots at goal, with 2 on target. Conversely, Grasshoppers had 4 attempts at goal, with only 1 on target. Despite their possession dominance, Lugano struggled to find the back of the net. Defensively, Lugano has been scored against in 5 of their last 6 matches, conceding a total of 9 goals during this period.

Analyzing their defensive performance, Lugano has faced challenges at the back. However, looking at their head-to-head record, Lugano has not lost to Basel in their last 2 away matches in the league. Additionally, Lugano is unbeaten in their previous 3 away league matches.

In the 139 previous clashes between Basel and Lugano, Basel has emerged victorious 59 times, while Lugano has secured wins on 39 occasions. Basel is currently on an unbeaten streak against Lugano, having notched three consecutive games without a loss, with their most recent encounter resulting in a 3-1 victory in December 2023.

Despite Basel's recent dominance, they haven't managed to secure consecutive victories against Lugano since a three-game winning streak between October 2021 and May 2022. Notably, Basel and Lugano have drawn twice in their last three encounters, as many draws as in their previous nine meetings.

Basel enters the upcoming match on a positive note, having won their last two games and aiming for a third consecutive league victory for the first time this season. On the other hand, Lugano is unbeaten in their last three away league games.

Basel's performance this season has been below expectations, but recent improvements, marked by back-to-back wins, provide a hopeful sign. The consecutive victories likely restored their confidence, and they will be eager to extend the streak to three wins in a row. On the other hand, Lugano has been inconsistent, experiencing fluctuations in their form. This doesn't bode well for them in this upcoming match, and a defeat for Lugano seems probable. However, the match is expected to be closely contested, with goals anticipated from both sides due to their vulnerabilities in defense.