Grasshoppers win 1:0 against Young Boys and keep Winterthur at bay. YB reveal familiar weaknesses on the road.
On Thursday, Young Boys advanced to the semi-finals of the Swiss Cup with a convincing performance against FC Zurich. Three days later at the same venue, the Bernese once again wore their yellow and black shirts, but it was a completely different team on the pitch in the Super League match against Grasshoppers.
Not one that created numerous chances so that a goal seemed only a matter of time. Rather, it was a team that found it extremely difficult to get into the dangerous area at all against the deep-lying Grasshoppers.
Giorgio Contini was forced to make two injury-related changes in the first half, meaning that the YB coach soon ran out of options to provide fresh impetus from the bench following the absences of Tanguy Zoukrou and Joël Monteiro.
GC, on the other hand, relied on the game that Tomas Oral installed in Niederhasli. Counter-attacking from a stable defense. And it was precisely one such counter-attack that caught out the Bernese side. After a cross from the left, Sonny Kittel was free in the middle and beat Marwin Keller, who returned to the YB goal.
It was German former Bundesliga player Kittel's first ever goal in a Grasshoppers shirt and one that gives the record champions an important three points in their fight to stay in the league. Young Boys, on the other hand, suffered another setback in their race to catch up towards the final round after losing 1-0 in Winterthur.
Comments on the game
Man of the Match: Sonny Kittel
"The German couldn't have picked a better time to score his first Super League goal. Kittel scores the golden goal to secure three eminently important points in the relegation battle. GC also beat the home curse, winning at the Letzigrund for the first time since the end of August at the 10th attempt." (blue Sport commentator Joel Di Ronco)
Telegram
Grasshoppers - Young Boys 1:0 (0:0)
6039 spectators. - SR Turkes. - Goal: 49. Kittel (Bojang) 1:0.
Grasshoppers: Hammel; Abels, Decarli, Seko, Persson; Hassane, Ndenge (90. Paskotsi); Irankunda (64. Maurin), Kittel (64. Verón Lupi), Meyer; Bojang (86. Muci).
Young Boys: Keller; Athekame, Zoukrou (18. Camara), Benito, Hadjam; Colley (61. Itten), Raveloson (61. Lakomy), Ugrinic, Monteiro (33. Imeri); Fassnacht (46. Virginius), Bedia.
Remarks: Cautions: 89. Abels.
The video ticker to watch
Grasshopper Club Zurich
BSC Young Boys
- Sonny Kittel - 1:0 (49.)
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Liveticker
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Liveticker closed
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64.
Virginius narrowly misses the equalizer
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53.
Kittel misses the 2:0
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49.
Goal GC 1:0 through Kittel
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9.
Chance YB through Fassnacht
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90.+6.End of 2nd half
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90.Substitution in Grasshopper Club Zurich
Maksim Paskotsi
Defender
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90.Substitution out Grasshopper Club Zurich
Tsiy-William Ndenge
Midfielder
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89.Yellow card Grasshopper Club Zurich
Dirk Abels
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86.Substitution in Grasshopper Club Zurich
Nikolas Muci
Striker
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86.Substitution out Grasshopper Club Zurich
Adama Bojang
Striker
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64.Substitution in Grasshopper Club Zurich
Evans Maurin
Striker
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64.Substitution out Grasshopper Club Zurich
Nestory Irankunda
Midfielder
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64.Substitution in Grasshopper Club Zurich
Tomas Veron
Striker
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64.Substitution out Grasshopper Club Zurich
Sonny Kittel
Midfielder
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61.Substitution in BSC Young Boys
Cédric Itten
Striker
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61.Substitution out BSC Young Boys
Ebrima Colley
Midfielder
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61.Substitution in BSC Young Boys
Lukasz Lakomy
Midfielder
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61.Substitution out BSC Young Boys
Rayan Raveloson
Midfielder
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49.Goal for Grasshopper Club Zurich, 1:0 through Sonny Kittel (Adama Bojang)
Sonny Kittel
Midfielder
Assist: Adama Bojang
Striker
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46.Substitution in BSC Young Boys
Alan Virginius
Striker
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46.Substitution out BSC Young Boys
Christian Fassnacht
Striker
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45.+5.End of 1st half
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33.Substitution in BSC Young Boys
Kastriot Imeri
Midfielder
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33.Substitution out BSC Young Boys
Joël Monteiro
Midfielder
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18.Substitution in BSC Young Boys
Mohamed Ali Camara
Defender
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18.Substitution out BSC Young Boys
Tanguy Zoukrou
Defender
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1.Start of the match
