Grasshoppers travel to FC Basel in the fight against relegation at the end of the 30th round of the Super League. The latter can move to the top of the table with a win against their fearsome opponents.
03.04.2025, 05:01
03.04.2025, 06:44
SDA
Grasshoppers fans have not had it easy in recent seasons. Since the Zurich club returned to the Super League almost four years ago, it has been fighting much more against relegation than for a place in the European Cup. The new change of ownership has done nothing to change this. While half the league is dreaming of a major coup, GC is sandwiched between Winterthur and Yverdon in the barrage. Far away from the spotlight that the Californian owners are seeking.
GC has recently repositioned itself geographically in particular. The headquarters were moved from Niederhasli to Limmatquai. In the middle of Zurich, between Bellevue and Grossmünster, a press conference was held in the new premises for the first time last week. GC explained the move as a way of bringing the club and its fans, most of whom come from the city, closer together, 20 years after going the other way round - from the city to the countryside.
More decisive for the current season, however, is the trip to Basel in St. Jakob-Park, which has already been more frightening for GC than it is at the moment. The last two encounters between the two teams on the banks of the Rhine went 1-0 to GC. The Hoppers have won six of the last nine direct encounters. This makes FCB by far the record champions' most profitable opponent in terms of wins over the past three seasons.
This statistic cannot be explained by looking at the table. The Grasshoppers are mathematically playing one of the worst seasons in their club's history, while FC Basel are back at the top. A win would see them finish the seventh round of the current season as leaders. The defense, weakened by the injuries to Adrian Barisic and Finn van Bremen, will have to hold up.
FC Luzern and St. Gallen meet in the second match on Thursday. In an often explosive duel, the eastern Swiss side urgently need points to keep their hopes of reaching the championship round alive. Lucerne, meanwhile, could be back in the thick of the championship race with a second win in a row after their 4-1 win in Lausanne.
