Super League, Matchday 1, Friday, 25.07.2025 at 20:30
Simply do everything better – that’s how simple it should be for FC Zurich with its goals for the season! After finishing eighth last season, the team now wants to qualify for European competition, but its recent performances in friendly matches raise a few questions.
The start of a season is always something special, and this time is certainly no exception. However, as I am a little skeptical about the planned reorientation, I have opted for a classic bet in my FC Zurich vs. Sion prediction and say: Both teams will score!
For good reason, I also want to tell you where I am placing my BTS bet: at Merkur Bets. On the one hand, because 1.68 is really strong in a league where this bet doesn’t usually go much higher than 1.50.
On the other hand, because you can also get a great bonus at Merkur Bets. New customers receive a new customer bonus of up to 100 euros on their first deposit!
Mitchell van der Gaag is the man on whom hopes and pressure alike rest in Zurich. The Dutchman has taken over as coach, but he wasn’t allowed to go on a big shopping spree.
A few loan players, plus some home-grown talent, the coach has to work largely with what FCZ already had at its disposal in 2024/25. Everyone at the club was naturally extremely dissatisfied with eighth place.
And that despite the fact that the team had actually got off to a really good start in the last round, so a strong start does not necessarily mean that Zurich can stay at the top in the long run.
With three wins and a draw, things got off to a good start just under a year ago, and no one would have minded picking up ten points quickly this time around. The problems picked up speed later on, with five of the last seven games being lost, for example.
The most recent test match took place just a few days ago – and the result was absolutely sobering. Zurich lost 0-3 to Ulm, a team that, as is well known, was relegated to the third division just a few weeks ago!
I don’t want to downplay the victories against FC Wil (3-1) and Rapperswil-Jona (2-0), but to be honest, I see the performance against Ulm as more of a yardstick. One thing is clear: the FCZ will not be able to compete at the top of their own league like this.
It’s also not exactly as if they can beat FC Sion just like that. The last two matches (admittedly away from home) were both lost 1-2, the first time they’ve lost two in a row since 2018/19.
Since Zurich had previously collected four narrow wins and a draw, anything could happen in this match. It’s therefore exciting to take a look at our bookmakers – who are they favouring?
The bookies are sticking to the classic approach and giving the home side the edge going into the match. The odds are 1.83 to 3.90 on average. The fact that FC Sion is going into the game as the underdog is unlikely to bother the team.
The fans don’t want to relive last season anytime soon, as their team was embroiled in a relegation battle until the very end. In the end, they finished with 36 points, eleven more than Zurich.
But the same applies here: Three wins from the first four rounds, the weak overall haul at the start of 2024/25 was by no means bad. I would also like to look at the impressions from the preparation phase here; the picture of the results could hardly be more varied.
As a negative highlight, I can cite a 2-5 defeat to Zenit St. Petersburg, with the 0-3 defeat to Grasshoppers Zurich falling into the same category. A 3-0 win against Annecy and a 2-0 win against Xamax mean that at least two wins were achieved.
There was definitely never a dull moment. Although Sion lacks the budget for a major shopping spree, the squad has changed in a number of positions, including loan players and professionals who are now considered clubless.
So it’s quite possible that the team will need some time to find its feet and gel, and won’t hit its stride straight away. The core of the team, however, remains unchanged, which is important.
There’s a lot that’s new at FC Zurich, but will it really be an improvement? The latest impressions from the test matches were anything but rosy, with the 0-3 defeat against Ulm being particularly memorable.
However, I don’t know exactly where FC Sion stands either; after all, you don’t just lose 0-3 against Grasshoppers or 2-5 against Zenit St. Petersburg.
The bottom line is that I honestly don’t know how to assess the barely existent form curves on either side. That’s why I’ve decided to trust the following classic:
Both teams will score!
