Miss for Servette: the Grenat could have climbed to 1st place in the Super League on Sunday. Except that the 1-1 conceded to Saint-Gall does not help them: they remain one point behind the leaders. Yet there was room.
Servette had a bad habit last spring: every time he had the opportunity to take the lead in the Super League, he missed, even when it all seemed obvious. We could hope that the Garnets would learn their lesson, but it seems that this is still not the case. While Lucerne, Lugano and Zurich had stalled, the Genevans also missed the mark.
In this intense match that St. Gallen played against them in the first half, Thomas Häberli’s men initially suffered. Even if, from the 17th minute, after a magnificent solo from Dereck Kutesa (perhaps he deserved to be called up to the Swiss team), Jérémy Guillemenot could have opened the scoring, but he came up against Zigi. Immediate punishment: four minutes later, Jordi Quintilla’s long free kick found Lukas Görtler’s header at the far post, where the German managed to get the better of Miroslav Stevanovic.
Extra energy after the break
Servette could blame himself. But the very reactive approach that Häberli seemed to have planned favored the Brodeurs and the pace that they wanted to impose. And Saint-Gall, notably through Geubbels, was frankly not far from doubling the lead before the break. Except that the Servettians had the good idea to come back from the locker room very well. With Enzo Crivelli in place of Jérémy Guillemenot and, above all, a lot of energy against a team from Central Switzerland which was starting to tire after its defeat in the European Cup on Thursday.
And, very quickly, after less than a minute, Crivelli directed towards Antunes who shifted Mazikou for the center. At the far post, Stevanovic was there again, this time in the offensive phase. With his head, he did not miss, and equalized. A lesser evil, for the 1-1. Because the Garnet could frankly have (should?) brought back three points from Kybunpark. Enzo Crivelli twice had the opportunity to find the fault on the hour mark, for example. Then, at the end of the match, with Saint Gall at ten after the expulsion of Vandermersch, Julian von Moos should have scored his attempt after a break (88th).
In the end, it costs a first place. And in a season where Servette has many reasons to think about the title, it would be better if it doesn’t happen too often.
St. Gallen – Servette 1-1 (1-0)
Kybunpark, 18,380 spectators.
Arbitrator: Stefan Horisberger.
Buts: 21e Görtler 1-0. 46e Stevanovic 1-1.
Saint-Gall: Zigi; Vandermersch, Ambrosius, Stanic (46e Diaby), Yannick (72e Faber); Görtler (66e Mih. Stevanovic), Quintilla, Witzig; Toma (66e Csoboth); Geubbels, Mambimbi (66e Milosevic).
Entraineur: Enrico Maassen.
Napkins: Frick; Tsunemoto, Rouiller, Séverin, Mazikou; Mir. Stevanovic (71st Von Moos), Douline, Cognat, Antunes (89th Simbakoli); Guillemenot (46e Crivelli), Kutesa.
Coach: Thomas Häberli.
Warnings: 48e Ambrosius. 61e Vandermersch. 77e Csoboth. 79e Tusnemoto.
Expulsion: 81st Vandermersch (2nd warning).
Notes: St. Gall without Fazliji and Nuhu (injured). Servette without Adams and Ondoua (suspended).