After Basel's anticipated championship victory and the verdicts at the bottom of the standings on Thursday (Yverdon relegated and GC in the play-off against Aarau), only the names of the teams that will place second through sixth are now to be known. Competing for the vice-champions' chair are Servette (62 points and goal difference +9) and YB (60 with +11). Competing for the other positions are Lugano (53 -3), Lausanne (52 +8) and Lucerne (52 +6).
SATURDAY AT 6 P.M. LUGANO-YB
The final day's schedule will pit Basel-Lucerne, Lugano YB and Servette-Lausanne against each other at 6 p.m. on Saturday. The third and fourth-place finishers will also be eligible to participate in the European Cups. The fifth, on the other hand, will have to wait until June 1 for Shaqiri and his teammates to win the Swiss Cup final, if any.
INTERRUPTED HEGEMONY
Basel's capture of the Swiss championship title interrupts Young Boys' hegemony that lasted since 2018. In the past eight seasons, the Bernese team has come first on six occasions: in 2022 it was overtaken by Zurich.
BASILEA 13 TITLES SINCE TWO THOUSAND
Basel's comeback is not surprising when one considers that before the recent yellow-and-blue successes, it was players in red-and-blue jerseys who dominated the Super League with eight championships and as many as 13 victories since the 2000s. David Degen's club is on its 21st title. Only GC (27) has done better while Servette and YB follow at 17.
WINNING BEARS HALF THE TIME
Since 2015, Lugano and YB have faced each other 41 times. With 24 Bernese successes, eight draws and nine HCL affirmations. There have been 20 challenges played in Cornaredo: half have gone to the guests while five have been both draws and Ticino victories.
THIS YEAR TWO OUT OF THREE
In the current season two of the three direct clashes were won by the bears. In February, at the Wankdorf in the 25th league round, by 1-0, and in November, again in Bern by 2-1 (with the famous missed penalty by Lugano in 93′). The first clash played in Cornaredo on Oct. 27 (11th round) saw Croci-Torti's boys prevail 2-0 (Aliseda and Belhadj).
VICTORY IN THE FINAL ROUND
Bottani and his teammates' record was better the current year. The regular season saw two draws in Ticino (3-3 and 1-1) and a defeat in Bern (4-1). Lugano redeemed itself in the title round by going on to win 1-0 away (Doumbia).
RETURNING FROM SIX GOALS AT BASILEA
Giorgio Contini's team arrived south of the Alps fresh off a bombastic 6-2 thrashing of Basel. Itten and Fassancht (twice each), Males and Bedia scored. In February, the yellow-and-whites had already scored six goals (conceding one) always at home to Yverdon.
FASSNACHT COMEBACK WITH GOALS
Best scorer is Christian Fassnacht, 31, whose 11 goals equaled his record of goals in SL. The striker returned to the capital in January after a couple of seasons spent at Norwich City (50 appearances with 6 goals and 3 assists). In total with the yellow shirt he scored 86 goals in 270 games.
SINGULAR DATUM FOR LAKOMI
Fassnacht is followed by Cédric Itten (8 goals), Joell Monteiro (7), Chris Bedia and Darian Males (6). One singular data point concerns Polish midfielder Lakomi. Since 2017/18 when such statistical surveys were introduced, he is the player with the highest number of shots on goal (36) or passes to teammates who kicked at the net (35) but without ever totaling a goal or an assist.
ONE DISQUALIFIED ON EACH SIDE
There will be two players who will be unable to take the field Saturday because they have reached the maximum number of "yellows." They are HCL fullback Marques and Bernese forward Colley. Note that the cautions will be cancelled after the last match. A player who receives the fourth, eighth or twelfth card will not serve any disqualification at the start of next season. At risk in Lugano would be: Saipi, Valenzuela, Brault-Guilllard, Doumbia, Mai and Steffen.
