- In the 27th round of the Super League, Winterthur defeated the Grasshoppers 2-0 in front of their own team.
- “Winti’s” run continues unhindered: It is already the 6th league game in a row without defeat.
- For GC and its coach Bruno Berner, however, the situation in the bottom of the table is becoming increasingly precarious.
Winterthur won both direct encounters this season. And the third meeting with cantonal rivals GC also went to Patrick Frame’s team on Saturday evening on the Schützenwiese. A big thank you once again goes to striker Nishan Burkart.
The 24-year-old, who had already decided the derby against FC Zurich in the Swiss Cup with two goals last week, came on as a substitute in the 64th minute and then scored 9 minutes later to make it 1-0. After GC’s Filipe De Carvalho made an insufficient clearance in his own penalty area, Burkart was there and chased the ball into the top right corner. GC goalie Justin Hammel had no chance.
Burkart strikes again
But that wasn’t all from the former FCZ and Man United junior. Deep into stoppage time, Burkart took a penalty against Joshua Laws, got him a yellow-red card and – of course – took responsibility. He converted the penalty into the top right corner (93′).
The game was thus decided and another serious setback for GC in the bottom of the table was set in stone. Immediately after the first goal, the guests’ disillusionment was noticeable. Practically nothing came from GC, but Winterthur could have increased the score to 2-0 before the penalty – but Burkart was denied by Hammel (87′).
Different GC than against SLO
From the Grasshoppers’ point of view, the game had picked up speed. In the first half, GC was the more active and dangerous team. After After the dismal 1-1 draw at Stade-Lausanne-Ouchy a week ago, coach Bruno Berner changed his starting eleven to 5 positions and sent a more attacking team onto the field.
The only thing that was missing from a GC perspective until Winterthur took the lead was the reward. Pascal Schürpf almost scored a dream goal after 18 minutes, and in the 32nd minute Dijon Kameri narrowly missed making it 1-0 – first with a long-range shot, then due to a gap in the air. Meanwhile, Winterthur barely found its way to the opposing goal. Even after the break, it took a double save from “Winti” goalie Marvin Keller (52nd) to prevent the deficit.
Ultimately, the happy ending for Winterthur fit the current course. The Eulachstädters are now unbeaten in 6 Super League games in a row, and there are even 7 games across all competitions. The mood is completely different at GC, which is increasingly in trouble.
This is how it continues
FC Winterthur will next travel to FC Basel next Saturday, and the Grasshoppers will host FC St. Gallen on the same day.