The afternoon was pleasant for following a football match. Without touching the genius, Baden and Neuchâtel Xamax delivered a duel that lived up to this impression, Pentecost Monday, during the final day of the championship. The two teams went back to back 2-2: a wild, open match, which allowed the Argovians, already relegated, to leave the Challenge League, in front of their home crowd, on a good note. There was no winner and that’s fine, even if Neuchâtel Xamax just missed third place in the ranking: “We are fourth and that’s already not bad. You also have to see where you come from. The previous season had been very difficult,” proclaims coach Uli Forte when it comes time to take stock.
At the Esp Stadium, in an almost summer heat, it was the Argives who took the initiative during the first half hour of play. But it was the Neuchâtelois who opened the scoring following a ” triangulation”, between Jessé Hautier, Angelo Campos, concluded by Soumaila Bakayako (20th). The meeting was off and running well. The Argovians equalized before the break, but the Xamaxiens regained the advantage after tea with a master shot from Kenan Fatkic (51e). The Xamaxian captain, who set the example to follow, was imitated ten minutes from the end by Guillaume Furrer, author of the equalizer. Baden, who took nine corners to his opponent’s three, ultimately stole nothing.
Compared to Friday’s match against Stade Nyonnais, Neuchâtel Xamax perhaps presented a less flamboyant face. But Uli Forte made no less than eight changes. He provided playing time for everyone. At 18, midfielder André Calame played his first quarter of an hour in the Xamaxian jersey. Ysias Hummel had his first start in goal: “I’m happy. It’s also a reward for the work put in,” summarizes this goalkeeper who followed the club’s entire training program.
Neuchâtel Xamax therefore finished in 4th place in the ranking, tied on points with Vaduz, but with a worse goal difference. And to think that the Liechtenstein team, trailing 2-0, equalized against Bellinzona, in the 97th minute of play, to save its rank at the last minute. /mne
