Hoppers save themselves in the barrage GC turn the relegation thriller around and send Winti to the Challenge League

What a relegation thriller. GC come back from 2-0 down and send Winti to the Challenge League with a 3-2 win. The Hoppers have to go to the barrage.

Winterthur could not have got off to a better start in the relegation summit at the Letzigrund. In the first ten minutes, Pajtim Kasami scored twice from corner kicks. Twice in the space of three minutes, the 33-year-old, who had played for both clubs as a junior, scored unchallenged.

There was nothing positive to see from the Grasshoppers for a long time. In their second match under Peter Zeidler, their third coach this season, GC looked fragile at the back and harmless up front. The early tactical and personnel changes did nothing to change this for a long time. The unfortunate midfielder Imourane Hassane had to make way for striker Lee Young-Jun shortly after the opening quarter of an hour.

It took an avoidable handball by Théo Golliard to allow GC captain Dirk Abels to score the equalizer with a penalty on the hour mark and at the same time herald the big turning point. Lee scored shortly afterwards with a deflected shot to equalize, and Abels, who was always motivated to the tips of his toes, headed home from a corner to make it 3:2.

Winterthur would have needed a win to get within one point of the Grasshoppers and hope to stay in the league until the final round. Winterthur came close to scoring again with a shot on the crossbar, but ultimately it was their inadequate defensive work that proved to be their undoing on Tuesday evening, as so often this season.

Winti leaves its mark

Four years after returning to the top flight under Alex Frei, Winterthur are now back in the Challenge League. The club from the Schützenwiese was an enrichment because it filled the stadium with its loyal fans and did things a little differently to other clubs. The highlight of the four years was the season before last, when the club made it into the Championship Group. The refreshing team only missed out on a place in the European Cup back then because it ran out of steam towards the end of the season.

The other three seasons were a constant battle against relegation, which FCW won twice because morale was always high. In the current season, too, the underdog fought in exemplary fashion, despite always being at the bottom of the table since the 3rd round and at times being in an almost hopeless position. At the weekend, he had given himself a chance of a possible last chance, which he was unable to take advantage of against GC, although he did not stop fighting in the final minutes on Tuesday evening. In the end, despite all his efforts, it was not enough: only five wins this season and a goal difference of -53 are the figures of a relegated team.

The same could be said of Grasshoppers. However, the record champions, who showed morale at the right time against Winterthur, have one last chance. They are in the barrage for the third time in a row and will play the Challenge League runners-up, either Vaduz or Aarau, next Monday and a week from Thursday.

Grasshoppers - Winterthur 3:2 (0:2)

8186 spectators. - SR Wolfensberger. - Goals: 7. Kasami (Sidler) 0:1. 10. Kasami 0:2. 60. Abels (penalty) 1:2. 62. Lee Young-Jun (Krasniqi) 2:2. 70. Abels (Jensen) 3:2.

Grasshoppers: Hammel; Abels, Ngom, Köhler, Rissi (61. Ullmann); Hassane (18. Lee Young-Jun); Krasniqi (87. Marques), Meyer, Zvonarek, Jensen; Frey.

Winterthur: Kapino; Sidler (67. Maluvunu), Lüthi, Kryeziu (67. Arnold), Diaby (67. Smith); Jankewitz (78. Buess), Kasami; Schneider, Golliard, Burkart (83. Ulrich); Hunziker.

Remarks: Cautions: 28th Abels, 55th Meyer, 62nd Kryeziu, 63rd Lee Young-Jun, 83rd Ngom, 95th Frey.

Grasshopper Club Zurich

Completed

3:2

(0:2)

FC Winterthur

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• Dirk Abels - 1:2 (60.)
• Lee Young Joon - 2:2 (62.)
• Dirk Abels - 3:2 (70.)

• (7.) 0:1 - Pajtim Kasami
• (10.) 0:2 - Pajtim Kasami
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70.

62.

60.

10.

7.

90.+6.
End of 2nd half
90.+5.
Yellow card Grasshopper Club Zurich
Michael Frey
87.
Substitution in Grasshopper Club Zurich
Samuel Marques
Defender
87.
Substitution out Grasshopper Club Zurich
Samuel Krasniqi
Midfielder
86.
Substitution in FC Winterthur
Dario Ulrich
Midfielder
86.
Substitution out FC Winterthur
Nishan Burkart
Striker
83.
Yellow card Grasshopper Club Zurich
Mouhamed El Bachir Ngom
78.
Substitution in FC Winterthur
Roman Buess
Striker
78.
Substitution out FC Winterthur
Alexandre Jankewitz
Midfielder
70.
Goal for Grasshopper Club Zurich, 3:2 through Dirk Abels (Jonathan Asp-Jensen)

Dirk Abels
Defender
Assist: Jonathan Asp-Jensen
Midfielder
67.
Substitution in FC Winterthur
Remo Arnold
Defender
67.
Substitution out FC Winterthur
Silvan Sidler
Defender
67.
Substitution in FC Winterthur
Elias Maluvunu
Midfielder
67.
Substitution out FC Winterthur
Mirlind Kryeziu
Defender
67.
Substitution in FC Winterthur
Rhodri Smith
Defender
67.
Substitution out FC Winterthur
Souleymane Diaby
Defender
63.
Yellow card Grasshopper Club Zurich
Lee Young Joon
63.
Yellow card FC Winterthur
Mirlind Kryeziu
62.
Goal for Grasshopper Club Zurich, 2:2 through Lee Young Joon (Samuel Krasniqi)
Lee Young Joon
Striker
Assist: Samuel Krasniqi
Midfielder
60.
Substitution in Grasshopper Club Zurich
Maximilian Ullmann
Defender
60.
Substitution out Grasshopper Club Zurich
Nico Rissi
Defender
60.
Goal for Grasshopper Club Zurich, 1:2 through penalties from Dirk Abels

Dirk Abels
Defender
55.
Yellow card Grasshopper Club Zurich
Tim Meyer
46.
Kick-off 2nd half
45.+2.
End of 1st half
28.
Yellow card Grasshopper Club Zurich
Dirk Abels
18.
Substitution in Grasshopper Club Zurich
Lee Young Joon
Striker
18.
Substitution out Grasshopper Club Zurich
Imourane Hassane
Midfielder
10.
Goal for FC Winterthur, 0:2 through Pajtim Kasami

Pajtim Kasami
Midfielder
7.
Goal for FC Winterthur, 0:1 through Pajtim Kasami (Silvan Sidler)

Pajtim Kasami
Midfielder
Assist: Silvan Sidler
Defender
1.
Start of the match