Basel and Young Boys already under pressure, two surprising winners' duels and Servette's chance of a perfect start: that's the 2nd round of the Super League.
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- FC Basel and YB are without points after the season opener. FCB face Lugano on Saturday evening, while YB play St. Gallen on Sunday.
- Meanwhile, Servette are aiming for their third full victory after wins against Lucerne and in the early fifth-round match against YB. The last time Geneva won three games in the opening round was in 2003/2004.
- The cantonal derby between FC Zurich and FC Winterthur will take place at the Letzigrund.
After a quiet summer with few changes to the squad for once, FCB fans had high hopes for the start of the season, but were bitterly disappointed. The 2:3 defeat against Lausanne-Sport was one thing, the largely uninspired performance another. Accordingly, a reaction is expected at St. Jakob-Park on Saturday, even though Lugano will be a difficult opponent. Basel have not won against the Ticino side in their last four home games. The defeat in February, when FCB lost the Cup quarter-final on penalties, was particularly bitter.
Champions YB are also under pressure - and this is much more surprising. Both at home against newly promoted Sion (1:2) and in the early away game against Servette (1:3), the Bernese team failed to pick up any points. Now, in the third game under new coach Patrick Rahmen, they will be looking to add to their tally, although the task in St. Gallen is anything but easy. The team from eastern Switzerland are strong at home and gained the necessary confidence on Thursday with a 4:1 win in the Conference League qualifier against Tobol Kostanai.
Lausanne's dry spell
Rather surprising "top games" take place in Sion and Zurich. After the away coup in Bern, Sion will welcome the equally convincing Lausanne for the first Romand derby of the season. The Vaud side have always struggled against the Valais side of late and are winless in their last 13 encounters (4 draws, 9 defeats). Lausanne's last win dates back to April 23, 2017.
Zurich and Winterthur, two other teams that started the season with a win, will meet at the Letzigrund. It will be a special match, especially for Fabian Rohner, who left his youth club FCZ in the summer after 132 competitive games and now lines up for Winterthur under 35-year-old young coach Ognjen Zaric.
Servette like 21 years ago?
While Sion, Lausanne, Zurich and Winterthur are hoping for a second win, Servette already have their eyes on a third success. Thanks to the early fifth-round match against YB, which Geneva won convincingly, the Cup winners already have six points to their name. After the home game against Yverdon, it could even be nine. Three wins to start the season: The last time Servette achieved this was in the 2003/04 season.
Meanwhile, Grasshoppers and Luzern are hoping for their first points. The Hoppers, who strengthened their squad during the week with the addition of long-serving Bundesliga defender Benno Schmitz, will be playing in front of their own fans. A circumstance that has done them little good of late: Of their last ten league home games against Luzern, the Zurich side have won just one. The teams drew three times, with Lucerne coming out on top six times.
