Lugano vs Grasshoppers Prediction: Hosts to get off to a flying start

The Swiss Super League gets underway this weekend and Saturday sees last season's runner-sup Lugano host Grasshoppers at the Cornaredo Stadium, with a kick-off time of 17:00.

Lugano have made steady progress over the past three years, moving up from fourth, to third and then second in the table, and this time around they will fancy themselves to go on a title charge. Read on for my Lugano vs Grasshoppers prediction, including match odds and team news.

Lugano vs Grasshoppers Odds

*Please click on the link above to be taken to the main Lugano vs Grasshoppers page on betfred.com (or app) for all the live betting prices on this match.

Lugano are 4/6 to win this match and get off to a flying start in 2024/25, which gives them a theoretical chance of 60%. Grasshoppers are valued at 100/30, giving them an implied probability of 23.1%. The draw can be backed at 11/4 (26.7%).

Both teams to score is on offer at 8/13 and over 2.5 goals is available at the same odds.

Football Odds

Team News

Lugano have acquired four senior players over the summer so far and they could all get their first taste of competitive action for their new club. They are Mattia Zanotti, Daniel Dos Santos, Antonios Papadopoulos and Zachary Brault-Guillard, who arrived from Inter Milan, FC Thun, Borussia Dortmund and on a free transfer respectively.

Having improved Lugano year on year since taking charge in 2021, boss Mattia Croci-Torti will be looking to demand more from his players this year as they are perceived as genuine title contenders. Slovenian striker Zan Celar was the top scorer last term with 19 goals, but he is a doubt to feature amidst reports of a transfer to English side Queens Park Rangers - which would leave Lugano with a huge void to fill.

After maintaining their top-flight status via the relegation play-off, Grasshoppers will be hoping for a more enjoyable year in 2024/25. They have acquired three new faces themselves in Saulo Decarli, Evans Maurin and Nikolas Muci, who have joined from Eintracht Braunschweig, Yverdon Sport and Lugano respectively.

Muci will get his first taste of action against his old side here and he will likely want to show them what they have let go.

Lugano -1 handicap @ 9/5

Lugano are the favourites for this match and justifiably so. They have been one of the best teams in the Swiss Super League for the past three years now and they have experienced growth each season under Croci-Torti.

Grasshoppers on the other hand are hoping that they can avoid any threat of relegation this year. It is unfortunate that they have to travel to face Lugano on the opening weekend because I don't think it will be very beneficial to their confidence.

As Lugano do not offer much value to win the match outright, I think they are worth backing to win with a -1 handicap. This is because they have more than enough quality to beat a side that just about stayed up last season, and seeing as they are perceived as title contenders this year, they will want to lay down a marker to their rivals despite it only being the first week of the campaign.

Lugano and under 3.5 goals @ 8/5

Another market worth backing Lugano to win but enhanced with under 3.5 goals. Lugano certainly have the quality in their ranks to score a few goals, even if star striker Celar isn't around.

However, as this is the very first game of the new season, I think it will take a few weeks for us to see them at their very best. Lugano have got to bed in their new signings with the rest of the squad, while some players have also moved on to pastures new.

I do think they can win this game fairly comfortably, but I am confident in predicting for there to be no more than three goals scored in this contest. It is worth noting that under 2.5 goals has landed in seven of Lugano's last nine home games in the league.

Offers

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