Striving to put further pressure on their rivals in the title race, Luzern will welcome St Gallen to swissporarena for a Swiss Super League battle on Thursday night.
Die Leuchten halted a worrying run of form with an emphatic away success last time out, whilst Espen endured another difficult afternoon on their top-flight travels.
Match preview
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After finishing top of the Relegation Group at the conclusion of the 2023-24 campaign, Luzern are looking to conquer the Championship Group of the Super League this time around, with Thursday’s hosts aiming to go one better than their 2011-12 crop to win their first-ever Swiss crown.
Those lofty ambitions were dealt major blows at the beginning of March prior to the international break, with Die Leuchten suffering a three-game winless streak during which they collected just two points, losing 3-2 at FC Zurich on March 15.
However, Luzern returned from the two-week pause with plenty of energy and quickly made amends, securing a 4-1 success at the base of top-six chasing Lausanne on Sunday afternoon, when leading marksman Thibault Klidje was once again on the scoresheet, netting his ninth goal of the Super League campaign.
Following a much-needed maximum in front of 2,700 spectators at Stade de la Tuiliere last time out, Die Leuchten are occupying third spot in the Super League standings with four games remaining before the post-season split, seven points ahead of seventh and four points behind pacesetters Servette.
Having previously only managed in his native country as head coach of FC Vaduz, Mario Frick has found a home away from home at swissporarena since switching to Luzern in December 2021, with the 50-year-old set for a Thursday night battle against St Gallen, for whom he played for on 45 occasions between June 2009 and December 2010.
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Qualifying for the Championship Group last season rather comfortably, St Gallen are in serious danger of missing out on a top-six finish with four games remaining of the regular season, with Thursday night’s visitors faltering as the campaign reaches its business end.
Espen had the unenviable task of trying to earn a result at the formidable base of title-chasing Young Boys on the weekend, when a second-half strike from former Norwich City winger Christian Fassnacht proved enough to provide the hosts at Stadium Wankdorf with maximum points.
Ahead of a trip to Luzern this week, St Gallen will be keenly aware that they must improve their away form if they wish to make the Championship Group at the end of this month, with Enrico Maassen‘s troops losing each of their last three Super League outings by an aggregate scoreline of 6-0.
Victorious in just one of their last six matches in the top flight, Espen have slumped down to a worrying eighth position in the Super League table, six points behind FC Zurich, who are guarding entry to the top-six places with only 12 points left to fight for before the split.
Possessing the ability to conjure up a magic moment for St Gallen between now and the end of the season, Willem Geubbels is the standout star in the visitors’ forward line, with the 23-year-old Frenchman scoring 13 goals across all competitions so far during the 2024-25 term.
Team News
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Luzern are without the services of influential midfielder Tyron Owusu, who is expected to be sidelined for a number of weeks due to a muscle injury.
Die Leuchten are also unable to call upon the talents of Sofyan Chader, with the 24-year-old only managing two Super League appearances due to a number of fitness problems, the latest of which being a muscle strain.
After picking up a suspension-inducing yellow card during the defeat at Stadion Wankdorf on the weekend, goal-getting midfielder Lukas Gortler is unavailable for St Gallen.
Espen’s options in the engine room are further reduced by the absence of Betim Fazliji, who suffered a campaign-ending knee injury near the conclusion of February.
Enjoying a breakthrough season at kybunpark, Corsin Konietzke‘s first-team opportunities so far in 2025 have been robbed by a muscle injury.
Luzern possible starting lineup:
Loretz; B H Freimann, Knezevic, B M Freimann, Fernandes; Dorn, Stankovic, Beloko; Villiger, Klidje, Spadanuda
St Gallen possible starting lineup:
Ati-Zigi; Stanic, Vallci, Ambrosius, Okoroji; Toma, Quintilla, Daschner; Vandermersch, Geubbels, Akolo
We say: Luzern 2-0 St Gallen
Almost within striking distance of league-leading Servette, Thursday night represents a major opportunity for Luzern to bank another maximum on home soil.
St Gallen have struggled severely on the road in recent times and should fall to a fourth straight away defeat at the hands of Die Leuchten at swissporarena.
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