- FC Zurich defeated Sion 1-0 at home in the 8th round of the Super League and is at the top of the table together with Lucerne and Lugano (17 points each).
- Mariano Gomez made the decision with a header from a free kick in the 17th minute.
- Sion hits the crossbar twice in the final minutes.
- In the other games on Sunday, Lugano (against Winterthur) and Lucerne (against Basel) are celebrating home wins.
FC Zurich was sent home by St. Gallen last Tuesday with a 1-4 defeat. Before the duel with Sion, the question arose as to how the Zurich team, coached by the ambitious Ricardo Moniz, would react to their first defeat of the season.
The answer in brief: With a narrow 1-0 home win, which at least temporarily puts the FCZ back at the top of the table – together with Lucerne and Lugano. Central defender Mariano Gomez was mainly responsible for these 3 points. The Argentine, who came from Atletico Madrid’s second team in July, headed his team into the lead in the 17th minute after a free kick from Mounir Chouiar and ultimately to victory.
Sittener Chancenwucher
But this victory – Zurich’s first home win against Sion since April 2022 – was by no means without risks. After the break, the 1:1 equalizer was indicated several times. The FCZ allowed the guests from Valais to come close to their own penalty area surprisingly often. After the final whistle, the Sion team had to be accused of not having made more use of their opportunities.
Playmaker Anton Mirantschuk, Sion’s most prominent name, was the most noticeable player on the Letzigrund lawn in the first minutes of the second half:
- 48. Minute: FCZ goalie Yanick Brecher unconventionally blocks a free kick from Mirantschuk into the short corner with his right foot.
- 51. Minute: Mirantschuk tries to outwit Brecher with a high attempt. The ball doesn’t land in the goal net, but rather on it.
- 54. Minute: Mirantschuk missed Sorgic in front of the goal after a nice individual performance. All he had to do was hold out his foot to equalize.
Sion hit the crossbar twice
After a 20-minute breather without a reaction from the home team, Sion made further attempts towards the FCZ goal and came closest to the long-deserved equalizer in the 81st minute. The Brazilian Baltazar slammed the ball onto the top of the crossbar with a volley.
But that wasn’t the last highlight. Towards the end of the game, FC Zurich seemed to be almost begging for an equaliser. But because Sion, in the person of Théo Bouchlarhem, aimed too high, namely at the crossbar again, in the 4th minute of stoppage time, the FCZ could be happy about returning to winning ways.
This is how it continues
Before the Nati break, the FCZ welcomes Lugano next Sunday, again at 2:15 p.m. The day before, the people of Sion welcome Yverdon-Sport in the Tourbillon at 6 p.m.
