Support is missing: Yverdon relegated, Oral with GC in the play-offs
The relegation battle in Switzerland culminated in a true thriller on Thursday, with no happy ending for Yverdon despite the final victory. One German coach still has to worry.
GC cheers at Letzigrund, but will Grasshoppers really stay at the top? IMAGO/Geisser
A real showdown awaited football fans in Switzerland on Thursday evening – in the relegation battle. In the bottom half of the Super League, a team was still being sought that would be relegated, as well as the team that would have to escape the play-off against second-division runners-up FC Aarau . In the draw: FC Winterthur , Grasshopper Club Zurich, and Yverdon Sports. "Winti" entered the final act with a one-point lead over their rivals, who were tied on points. FC Zurich , FC St. Gallen , and FC Sion had long since been saved.
FC Winterthur held on to their narrow lead and secured a 2-0 victory at the Schützenwiese. Christian Gomis was the match winner, his brace (23', 40') settling nerves in time. The Senegalese had previously scored just three goals this season and excelled at the decisive moment.
Grasshoppers, led by German coach Tomas Oral, were put through their paces at the Letzigrund Stadium against the visitors from St. Gallen. The Espen had traveled to the financial metropolis without Willem Geubbels , who was being courted by Union Berlin , and coach Enrico Maaßen 's team lacked the final bite. Nikolas Muci (12') backheeled the ball to set the stage for GC, which had to wait a long time for the game. A goal from St. Gallen would have meant relegation. But South Korean Young-Jun Lee finally scored with a close-range header to at least secure the relegation spot.
Yverdon leaves with head held highThe two aforementioned home wins didn't bode well for Yverdon. A good performance at home against FC Zurich ultimately didn't help the bottom team - despite a 3-2 victory, the Vaudois side were relegated.
Now, GC and FC Aarau, who, as runners-up in the second division, are battling for the last remaining spot in the Swiss Super League, are still hoping to return to the top flight, something FC Thun has already achieved as champions. The two matches will take place on May 27 in Zurich and May 30 in Aarau (kick-off at 8:30 p.m. in both matches).
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