Super League, Thursday, 25.05.2023
A match with different omens awaits Swiss football fans on Thursday evening. Sion urgently need to score against Luzern to still avoid relegation.
While Sion are struggling at the bottom of the table, their upcoming opponents Luzern have to defend their Conference League place ahead of FC Basel.
Who will secure the all-important points on the penultimate matchday of the Swiss Super League? I analyse the teams and give a betting recommendation on the match.
Who has to go into the relegation? Winterthur or Sion? Both teams are trailing the rest of the field by just under ten points.
Only one will have to defend its league place via relegation at the end of the season. There is no direct relegation in the Swiss Super League, as there are also only ten teams in the top division.
In the last two games, all teams have to play at the same time. Thus, points are urgently needed at home. If Winterthur loses their match, a draw will be enough to leave the last place.
But this task will be difficult if the odds are taken as a reference. Bwin offers 3.20 for a Sion home win. At 2.10, bets can be placed on an away win for Lucerne.
The high odds for the home win are justified in view of the recent results. FC could not win any of its last six matches.
In mid-April, Sion celebrated their last win (3:1) in an away match against the Gasshoppers. This was followed by five defeats and a draw against FC Zurich.
The defence in particular has caused the supporters a bellyache. 14 goals conceded in the last six games.
Sion conceded at least one goal in all 19 games this year. Only two of the 16 games ended with three points. Ten times the club left the pitch as losers.
A form that does not inspire much courage to turn the tide in the last two matches. But why did Sion collapse so massively in the second half of the season?
Among other things, Mario Balotelli’s team is struggling with a small squad. On Thursday alone, eleven players are missing again, including the Italian centre forward.
The 32-year-old was considered a great striker hope, but was missing time and again and could only score six goals in 18 games without rhythm.
But the other centre-forwards Giovanni Sio and Abdel Zagre are also struggling with injuries. Gaetan Karlen is thus the only 9-man in the current line-up.
Despite the poor starting position, Sion can still hope for points. Opponents Luzern have lost their chances of making the Champions League after four matches without a win.
The club from the canton of Valais also has a full hospital. The 1989 Swiss champions also have to do without eleven players.
As with Sion, Lucerne’s stability is suffering as a result. Coach Mario Frick’s team conceded eleven goals.
I think many goals are realistic for Thursday in any case, as both teams have to play with compromise line-ups every week.
Bet3000 offers odds of 1.55 for over 2.5 goals, definitely a recommended bet. At the same rate Betano offers the bet “Goal in both halves”, a good alternative.
Of the three matches so far this season, Sion has managed to hold its own twice.
In April, the club celebrated a 2-1 away victory. In October, it was enough for a 2-0 win at home. In the first meeting, Luzern (2:0) still had their noses in front.
Summary: Both teams are currently struggling with many absences. As a result, stability has suffered, resulting in numerous goals conceded.
I expect in the fourth encounter of the season that there will always be gaps in the defenses and that many scoring chances can be created.
In my Sion Luzern tip, I therefore recommend betting that there will be at least one goal in both halves.
