Thanks to two goals from Japanese offensive player Hayao Kawabe, the Grasshoppers win their first league game of the new season 2-1. The Luganesi owe a lot – and are the only Super League team that still has no points.
Scores against Lugano in both the first and second half: GC offensive player Hayao Kawabe.
(sda) The Grasshoppers had a better start to the season than they did when they were promoted again a year ago. At that time they played well and pleasantly at home against the title contenders FC Basel, but with some bad luck they lost 0:2. They weren’t unlucky against the Luganesi, but they didn’t have to resort to luck either. The success was deserved. As in the 2:3 home defeat against Sion, the Ticino team owed a lot. It was only enough for them to score a goal after a hand penalty caused by Georg Margreitter and converted by Zan Zelar after 79 minutes.
Giotto Morandi, who was injured for a long time last season, supplied both of Kawabe’s goals. Petar Pusic received warm applause when he came on as a substitute in the 72nd minute. The youngster had not been able to play a competitive game since the coronavirus infection at the end of last year.
great league. 2nd round. Saturday: Zurich – Lucerne 0-0. St Gallen – Winterthur 2: 0 (2: 0). – Sunday: Basel – Servette 1: 1 (1: 0). Grasshoppers – Lugano 2: 1 (1: 0). Customs – Young Boys 0:3 (0:2). – Ranking: 1.Young Boys 2/6. 2. Servette 2/4. 3. Grasshoppers 1/3. 4. St Gallen 2/3. 5. Manners 2/3. 6. Basel 2/2. 7. Lucerne 1/1. 8.Winterthur 2/1. 9. Zurich 2/1. 10.Lugano 2/0.
Grasshoppers – Lugano 2: 1 (1: 0). 4123 spectators. – Referee: Horisberger. – Gates: 12. Kawabe 1-0. 47. Kawabe 2-0. 79. Celar (hand penalty) 2: 1. – Grasshoppers: Moreira; Loosli, Margreitter, Seko; Ndenge (72nd Herc); Bolla, Abrashi, Kawabe (90th Shabani), Schmid (72nd De Carvalho); Morandi (72nd Pusic), Momoh (46th Dadashov). – Lugano: Saipi; Durrer (59. Arigoni), Mai, Ziegler; Mahou (59th Amoura), Doumbia (72nd Mahmoud), Sabbatini, Valenzuela; Haile-Selassie, Bottani (72nd Bislimi); Celar. – Remarks: Grasshoppers without Hoxha, Jeong, Ribeiro and Stroscio (all injured). Lugano without Daprelà (suspended), Aliseda, Facchinetti, Hajrizi and Macek (all injured). Warnings: 91. Dadashow (foul).