Neuchâtel Xamax’s descent into hell is endless. The “red and black” club conceded its sixth defeat in a row in as many games since the start of the season, Saturday evening in Ticino in the Football Challenge League, following losing 3-1 once morest Bellinzona. Needless to say that the Neuchâtel team remains glued to last place in the standings without having gleaned the slightest point. What a debacle!
And yet once morest the neo-promoted Ticino, the start was good. Without being brilliant but rather solid defensively, Neuchâtel Xamax opened the scoring in the 22nd minute following a furious breakthrough from Henri Koide, on a good serve from Fabio Saiz. The Xamaxiens led 1-0 at the break, once morest Ticino, who applied themselves to turning the ball without much efficiency.
Goalkeeper Théo Guivarch thus intervened for the first time shortly before the hour mark, brilliantly stopping a penalty. We thought that success was finally on the right side.
Well no ! How to explain that the last half hour of the match turned into a debacle? At one everywhere, the troop of Andrea Binotto, whose hours are counted, missed the opportunity to double the bet, the Ticino goalkeeper intervening brilliantly. And it is on the contrary the Ticinese formation which scored the 2-1 (70e), on the counter-attack.
Disorganized and feverish once more, Neuchâtel Xamax was unable to resurface, accumulated small errors, finished the match at ten following the expulsion of Mujcic. What a waste for a team that has very interesting individuals, but which is a team in name only. At the end of the game, Captain Liridon Berisha did not hide his dismay. He also noted that during the first half of the match he and his teammates had not delivered a bad performance. /mine
Bellinzone – Neuchâtel Xamax 3-1 (0-1)
Municipal stadium, 1,200 spectators
Arbitre Drmic.
Buts: 22e Koide 0-1. 61e Samba 1-1. 71e Romero 2-1. 90e Souza 3-1.
Notes: 79th, expulsion of Mujcic (Neuchâtel Xamax / 2nd warning).
Results: Wil – Thun 1-1 (1-0). Schaffhausen – Yverdon 1-2 (1-0). Aarau – Stade Lausanne-Ouchy 3-3 (1-2). Bellinzone – Neuchâtel Xamax FCS 3-1 (0-1).
Ranking: 1. Will 6/13 (10-4). 2. Yverdon 6/13 (14-11). 3. Lausanne-Sport 5/10 (8-3). 4. Bellinzona 6/10 (9-12). 5. Aarau 6/9 (13-9). 6. Schaffhausen 6/9 (7-8). 7. Lausanne-Ouchy Stadium 6/8 (10-9). 8. Thun 6/6 (9-10). 9. Vaduz 5/2 (8-13). 10. Neuchâtel Xamax FCS 6/0 (4-13).
