FC Lugano vs Maccabi Tel Aviv

Lugano claimed a hard-fought 2-1 win over Maccabi Tel Aviv in a rain-soaked Conference League playoff first leg, with the decisive moment coming just after the break when a penalty swung momentum back in the hosts' favor. Kevin Behrens put Lugano ahead in the 30th minute, heading home a cross from Yanis Cimignani. Maccabi responded almost immediately after the restart, as Ido Shahar fired in a right-footed finish in the 47th minute to level things up. Lugano struck back within minutes, though, when Tyrese Asante fouled Cimignani in the box, allowing Anto Grgic to slot home the resulting penalty in the 54th minute. Lugano pushed for a third, with Revivo even rattling the crossbar late on, but the scoreline held. The win gives Lugano a slender advantage to protect in next week's return leg, keeping their European ambitions firmly alive. Maccabi Tel Aviv showed real fight with their quick equalizer but will need to overturn the deficit away from home to advance.