NSI Runavik and Lugano played out a 2:2 draw in the third qualifying round of the UEFA Conference League at Víðarvöllur on Wednesday evening. The Swiss side came back from two goals down after losing 2:0 to the Faroe Islands club just seven days earlier. The result keeps Lugano's European ambitions alive as they approach the play-off stage.
Petur Knudsen opened the scoring for NSI Runavik in the twenty-ninth minute, giving the home side an early lead. Marius Krigler Lindh doubled the advantage in the sixty-first minute, and it looked as though the hosts would take all three points. Lugano responded with urgency, with Yannis Cimignani pulling one back in the sixty-sixth minute. Kevin Behrens equalised from the penalty spot in the seventy-ninth minute to salvage a point for the visitors.
Lugano brought on Daniel dos Santos in the sixty-third minute as they searched for a way back into the game. NSI made three changes in the eighty-eighth minute, bringing on Michal Przybylski, Yann Julian Benjaminsson, and Romain Steffen. Emil Joensen received a yellow card for the home side in the seventy-ninth minute after a tactical foul.
Lugano dominated possession with sixty per cent of the ball and created more chances, registering four big chances compared to NSI Runavik's two. The visitors took nine shots on target and recorded an expected goals figure of 2.61, while NSI managed four shots on target with an xG of 1.45. Despite the statistical superiority, Lugano could only find the net twice, and NSI held firm when it mattered.
The draw means Lugano level the aggregate score at 4:4 after the first leg, giving them a second chance to progress. NSI Runavik will need to defend resolutely at home if they hope to overturn the deficit. The result extends Lugano's unbeaten run to five matches across all competitions.