FC Winterthur regains courage in the relegation battle

Winterthur won 2:1 on Saturday evening thanks to goals from Nishan Burkart and Andrin Hunziker. Because Grasshoppers lost the Zurich derby against FCZ by the same score after leading 1-0, the two teams are now separated by just four points with two rounds to go.

"It's unbelievable that we're still alive. We really wanted to have something like a final against Grasshoppers on Tuesday," said Winterthur captain Luca Zuffi. Hunziker, who scored the winning goal, had a similar sentiment: "That's the least we could give back to our fans this season. Now we have two finals and a huge final on Tuesday against GC."

The belief is there, the momentum is back on Winterthur's side. They will take this good feeling into the final games, said Hunziker. "And GC also know that we're coming with a lot of confidence." However, the team from Winterthur did not want to get carried away, as there is no leaning back in the season finale.

Winterthur need a win at the Letzigrund on Tuesday to keep their chances of knocking Grasshoppers out of the play-off places alive. GC are currently four points ahead of the bottom club, not least thanks to their 2-0 win in their last clash at Schützenwiese a Monday ago. In the final round, Winterthur host FC Luzern next weekend, while Grasshoppers face Lausanne-Sport, the former club of their new coach Peter Zeidler.

Zuffi's aim is to improve efficiency in finishing. The captain criticized the fact that they missed another chance against Lausanne at the beginning. However, the reaction to this was a good sign: "We missed a chance and then took the lead. After half-time, we get the 1:1 and are able to step up again after this extremely difficult moment. That speaks volumes for the team."