There’s a lot at stake in the last game of the year

There are these statistics from FC Aarau on artificial turf. She’s not very positive. He only won four of the last 14 games on the plastic surface. Two of them came in last season’s derbies against Baden. Aarau lost the last two games on the artificial turf in Neuchâtel. They came about after terrible performances.

But before the end of the year today (8:15 p.m./AZ live ticker) at the Maladière, Aarau coach Brunello Iacopetta is happy that the game will not take place on natural grass that is deep at this time of year. The fact that his team’s recent performances were no longer quite as lively as they were a month or two ago also has something to do with this: Iacopetta has noticed a certain level of tiredness.

Third or sixth? Three points or nine points?

This was evident in the 1-0 home game against Lausanne-Ouchy last Sunday. «The first half hour was very good, but then it became more and more difficult. At some point it was just a matter of maintaining the lead over time. I don’t think we would have been able to improve again if Ouchy had equalized,” said Iacopetta.

But back to the artificial turf and today’s game in Neuchâtel. It is no coincidence that Aarau showed its best performance since the international break in mid-November two weeks ago in the 1-1 away game against leader Thun. The games there are also played on artificial turf. That also gives us courage for the performance against Xamax. Because even if only three points are up for grabs, these last 90 minutes of the year will have a lot of weight when it comes to assessing the first half of the season.

Iacopetta and those around Aarau can repeat in such a mantra-like manner that one should “not look at the table yet” and that “the settlement will only be settled in May”. For the state of the “Piazza”, i.e. the discussing, lamenting and celebrating public, it is very important whether Aarau goes into the winter break in third place, perhaps only three points behind first place. Or in sixth place with a handicap of nine points to the leader and possibly seven to the barrage place.

And there is also the thought in the back of our minds that Aarau, despite currently being four points behind second-placed Etoile Carouge, could still play on this very barrier place. I’m sorry, what? What seems mathematically impossible could become a reality if the lights go out for the financially struggling FC Schaffhausen during the winter break.

Suddenly on Barrageplatz thanks to Schaffhausen?

Then, because the Schaffhausen team will not have completed the entire first phase due to a postponed game, all of the results from the north-eastern Swiss team will be annulled. And FC Aarau could benefit from this. He would only be deducted three points because he lost a game against Schaffhausen, while Carouge would lose the six points he won against Schaffhausen. In order to catch up with Geneva or even overtake them, Aarau would only have to score more points than them in the last round of the year.

This may all be gray theory and not the most realistic scenario for the next few weeks, but it also shows that almost everything has to be expected in the Challenge League this season. That’s why it’s important to finish the end of a long football autumn in the best possible shape – physically and mentally.

Iacopetta is convinced that his team is ready again. Strategist Izer Aliu, who injured his shoulder, is missing again. But otherwise the team has recovered from the two games played within less than 72 hours last week. Thanks to a week of training… on the artificial turf in Schachen, which is a little less strenuous than the pitches on the Brügglifeld.