The relegation battle in Switzerland culminated in a real thriller on Thursday, with no happy ending for Yverdon despite their final victory. A German coach still has to wait anxiously.
A real showdown awaited soccer fans in Switzerland on Thursday evening in the relegation battle. In the lower half of the Super League, one team was still looking to avoid relegation and another to secure a place in the play-offs against second-placed FC Aarau. In the draw: FC Winterthur, Grasshopper Club Zurich, and Yverdon Sports. “Winti” went into the final act with a one-point lead over their rivals, who were level on points. FC Zurich, FC St. Gallen, and FC Sion had long since secured their places.
FC Winterthur held on to their narrow lead and won their home game at the Schützenwiese 2-0. Christian Gomis was the match winner, his brace (23rd, 40th) calming nerves at just the right moment. The Senegalese had previously scored only three goals all season and rose above himself at the decisive moment.
Grasshoppers, led by their German coach Tomas Oral, had to deliver against St. Gallen at the Letzigrund. The Espen had traveled to the financial metropolis without Willem Geubbels, who is being courted by Union Berlin, and coach Enrico Maaßen’s team lacked the final bite. Nikolas Muci (12th) set the course for GC with a backheel, and they had to endure a long period of nervousness. A goal from St. Gallen would have meant relegation. But South Korean Young-Jun Lee finally scored with a header from close range, at least securing the relegation play-off spot.
The two home wins mentioned above did not bode well for Yverdon. A good performance at home against FC Zurich was ultimately not enough to help the bottom-placed team – despite a 3-2 win, the Vaudois are relegated.
GC moves to Lugano
GC and FC Aarau are now battling it out for the last spot in the Swiss Super League. As runners-up in the second division, Aarau still hopes to return to the top flight, which FC Thun has already secured as champions. Because the Letzigrund stadium is unavailable due to a concert, GC will play the first leg next Tuesday in Cornaredo, Lugano, 200 km away. The second leg will take place on Friday, May 30, in Aarau (kick-off at 8:30 p.m. both days).
