- In the first leg of the Conference League playoffs, Servette lost 2-0 to Chelsea.
- After the break, Geneva were on the losing track due to a penalty and missed many chances at the end.
- FC St. Gallen plays against Trabzonspor 0:0.
In a week’s match against Chelsea in the second leg of the Conference League playoffs, Servette needs a small miracle to advance to the group stage like they did last season. The Genevans put in a good performance away at Stamford Bridge and had a few good chances, especially in the closing stages. But as so often in recent months on the European stage, the Genevans were unlucky in the final stages.
Frick in the spotlight several times
After a balanced first half without any major upsets, things really got going in the first few minutes after the break. First, Servette keeper Jérémy Frick brought down Christopher Nkunku in the penalty area – a penalty was awarded. The fouled player did not miss this chance and hammered the ball into the left corner (50′).
A few seconds after the restart, Frick, who is allowed to guard Geneva’s goal in the European Cup and the national cup, was back in the spotlight. The goalie lost the ball 25 meters from the goal and Marc Guiu was able to head towards the empty goal alone. But the 18-year-old new signing from Spain managed to play the ball towards the goal with so little pressure that Frick was able to parry the shot. Frick also defused the two follow-up shots.
In the 76th minute, the English finally made it 2-0. Noni Madueke beat Frick in the near corner after a nice pass from Enzo Fernandez. With relatively little effort, Chelsea’s million-euro team, in which ex-Basel player Renato Veiga played the whole way, achieved relatively high results.
Geneva chances galore in the final minutes
As a result, Chelsea practically stopped playing football and made many inaccurate mistakes in their own half. This gave Servette numerous chances – some of them top-class. But it was not the first time that it became clear that coach Thomas Häberli’s team was lacking a goalscorer in attack.
Substitute Jérémy Guillemenot (80th minute), Tiemoko Ouattara, who also came off the bench, with his shot that hit the crossbar (86th minute), Julian von Moos (90th minute) and Guillemenot again (96th minute) all missed excellent opportunities. However, the goal that Servette deserved was not scored. The Genevans were badly served with a 2-0 defeat, and the return match turned into a mammoth task.
This is how it continues
Like the other Swiss European Cup participants, Servette has no game in the Super League this weekend. The reunion with Chelsea will take place next Thursday at the Stade de Genève. Kick-off is at 8:30 p.m., SRF will broadcast live from 8:20 p.m.
