- GC and FC Zurich split 1-1 in the 279th Zurich derby in the 9th round of the Super League.
- Antonio Marchesano (14′) and Bendeguz Bolla (49′) scored the goals.
- The champion remains without a win in the first game after the dismissal of Franco Foda.
- In the first game of the evening, Basel beat St. Gallen in a turbulent game 3-2.
Only when veteran Amir Abrashi came on was there a bit of a derby mood at GC. After a weak 1st half with a deficit of 0:1, it took the captain just under 5 minutes before the equalizer fell. Outside defender Bendeguz Bolla pranced out of his opponent in the FCZ penalty area and curled the ball into the corner.
FC Zurich had previously taken the lead in the 14th minute through Antonio Marchesano. The goalscorer was abandoned by the GC defense and converted easily after a pass from Aiyegun Tosin. The champions’ first lead of the season was well deserved. Right from the start he seemed more willing and determined than his opponent.
FCZ pushes in the final phase
However, the “Abrashi effect” did not last very long at GC. The longer the 2nd half lasted, the closer it was to FCZ to get the winning goal. Especially in the final minutes, the Zurich team missed a few opportunities to win the derby. Ivan Santini headed the ball against the post in the 88th minute (albeit from an offside position) and in injury time Blerim Dzemaili failed from a few meters at the brilliantly reacting GC keeper Justin Hammel.
Substituting for the injured André Moreira, Hammel secured the point for GC in his first Super League start. The “Hoppers” should be satisfied with this one. Because despite long phases of possession, there were no clear chances of a possible “lucky punch”.
Performance improvement not rewarded
The first game, under the direction of interim coach Genesio Colatrella, gave FCZ the best performance of the season, but not the win they had hoped for. After all, the champion maintains his derby unbeaten – since February 25th, 2018 and now 11 derbies, GC has been waiting for a win against the city rivals.
Here’s how to proceed
For GC, the home game against Sion is coming up next Saturday. FC Zurich welcomes PSV Eindhoven in the Europa League on Thursday. The championship continues for the champions on Sunday when Winterthur makes a guest appearance in the Letzigrund for the next derby.