
Grasshoppers remain unbeaten in their eighth game under coach Tomas Oral. They drew 2-2 at home against Lausanne-Sport thanks to an improved performance after the break.
Despite continuing their good run, the Grasshoppers left the pitch disappointed. They were very close to victory. In an impressive second half, they turned a 0:1 lead into a 2:1 lead. The 17-year-old Tugra Turhan scored his first Super League goal shortly after coming on as a substitute after just over an hour after linking up with Nestory Irankunda, who is a year older.
The highlight of the evening came when substitute Nikolas Muci made it 2-1 with a bicycle kick in the 79th minute, seconds after team-mate Veron Lupi, who also came on after 45 minutes, had failed to beat Lausanne keeper Karlo Letica with a penalty.
The fact that Tomas Oral's lucky hand was not rewarded with three points was down to Argentinian Fabricio Oviedo, who scored in the 85th minute to make it 2-2. For GC, the equalizer was all the more painful as the Zurich side had a crossbar goal to contend with after going 2-1 up.
However, the hosts must reproach themselves for the delay in finding their courageous game. At the break, there was still little to suggest that the American GC president Stacy Johns, who was in attendance at the Letzigrund, would be able to see a point being scored that evening. Lausanne-Sport were dominant and, in Alvyn Sanches, had the player in their ranks who made the difference at the interval. The 21-year-old dribbled the ball past GC keeper Justin Hammel in the 29th minute.
Telegram and table:
Grasshoppers - Lausanne-Sport 2:2 (0:1)
2589 spectators. - SR Gianforte. - Goals: 29. Sanches (Sène) 0:1. 64. Turhan (Irankunda) 1:1. 79. Muci (Schmitz) 2:1. 85. Oviedo (Poaty) 2:2.
Grasshoppers: Hammel; Schmitz, Paskotsi, Seko, Hassane; Abels, Abrashi, Ndenge (46. Verón Lupi), Kittel (46. Muci); Irankunda (86. Persson), Bojang (62. Turhan).
Lausanne-Sport: Letica; Giger, Sow (69. Mouanga), Dussenne, Poaty; Sanches, Roche, Custodio (81. Oviedo); Okou, Sène (69. Ajdini), Diabaté (46. Balde).
2:2Notes: 78. Letica saves Verón Lupi's penalty. Cautions: 45 Sow, 56 Dussenne, 59 Muci, 67 Schmitz, 88 Sanches.
1. Lugano 21/38 (38:30). 2. Basel 21/37 (47:22). 3. Lucerne 21/36 (38:31). 4. Servette 22/33 (34:32). 5. Lausanne-Sport 22/32 (36:29). 6. Zurich 21/30 (26:29). 7. St. Gallen 21/29 (33:28). 8. Young Boys 21/28 (27:30). 9. Sion 22/27 (31:32). 10. Yverdon 21/21 (19:29). 11. Grasshoppers 22/21 (21:30). 12. Winterthur 21/14 (18:46).