Caleb Chukwuemeka shot Bellinzona to an exploit
Image: Keystone
Bellinzona's fans were eager for the cup game
Image: Keystone
St. Gallen coach Enrico Maassen must be worried after the disappointing results of recent weeks
Image: Keystone
Lausanne-Sport are also doing extremely well at the moment thanks to Alvyn Sanches
Image: Keystone
FC Aarau and coach Brunello Iacopetta missed a good opportunity to reach the quarter-finals
Image: Keystone
Caleb Chukwuemeka shot Bellinzona to an exploit
Image: Keystone
Bellinzona's fans were eager for the cup game
Image: Keystone
St. Gallen coach Enrico Maassen must be worried after the disappointing results of recent weeks
Image: Keystone
Lausanne-Sport are also doing extremely well at the moment thanks to Alvyn Sanches
Image: Keystone
FC Aarau and coach Brunello Iacopetta missed a good opportunity to reach the quarter-finals
Image: Keystone
St. Gallen is the only team to fail in the last 16 of the Swiss Cup against a lower-ranked team. The European Cup participants lost 1:0 in Bellinzona, while Lausanne-Sport and Etoile Carouge progressed.
05.12.2024, 22:02
05.12.2024, 22:42
SDA
St. Gallen's exit is not only surprising because of the league difference, but also because Bellinzona has been in a form slump for weeks. The 1:0 win against St. Gallen was the Ticino side's first victory since the end of September. In the eight games in the Challenge League in between, they only managed four points.
AC Bellinzona scored the golden goal ten minutes after the break when the ever-dangerous Rilind Nivokazi broke through in midfield and set up Caleb Chukwuemeka. The latter won his duel with St. Gallen keeper Lawrence Ati Zigi with aplomb. The hosts also had other good opportunities. Nivokazi only hit the post before the break and later had a good chance to make it 2-0.
What FC St. Gallen produced was frighteningly little given the predicament they found themselves in after the 0-1 at the latest. There was no sign of an attacking run towards the Bellinzona goal. Here and there a blocked shot, there and then a solo effort from Christian Witzig. All in all, Grünweiss showed too little to earn a place in the last eight. Just like last year (in the round of 16 against Delémont), St. Gallen failed to beat a lower-ranked team.
Lausanne unchallenged in Winterthur
Lausanne-Sport had no problems and confirmed their good form. The Vaud team won 3:0 in Winterthur. Antoine Bernede and Alvyn Sanches, who scored his eighth goal of the season and third in the Cup, ensured a deserved and reassuring 2:0 lead at the break. It was only after this that FC Winterthur improved and had one or two chances to score before Fousseni Diabaté made things clear with Lausanne's third goal in the 85th minute. Winterthur won the last clash between the two teams in the championship a month ago. It remains Zurich's only win from the last eight games.
Aarau lose Challenge League duel
The only round of 16 tie between two clubs from the second-highest league was decided by a single action. Bruno Caslei, the number 10 from Etoile Carouge, made the most of a corner in the 70th minute, took the ball technically perfectly from the air, dribbled free and scored with a precise low shot. The corner kick was taken by Vincent Rüfli, soon to be 37, who won the cup with FC Sion in 2015.
Etoile Carouge, who are also ahead of FC Aarau in the Challenge League, have reached the quarter-finals for the second time in the last 27 years. The Geneva side, coached by Adrian Ursea, returned to the Challenge League this season. They had previously played in lower leagues for twelve years.
Super League clubs Lugano, Basel, YB and Zurich, as well as Promotion League leaders Biel, had already qualified for the quarter-finals.
Telegrams and results:
Aarau - Etoile Carouge 0:1 (0:0). - SR Wolfensberger. - Goal: 70. Caslei 0:1.
Bellinzona - St. Gallen 1:0 (0:0). - SR Fähndrich. - Goal: 55. Chukwuemeka 1:0.
Winterthur - Lausanne-Sport 0:3 (0:2). - SR Dudic. - Goals: 20 Bernede 0:1. 45 Sanches 0:2. 85 Diabaté 0:3.
The other round of 16 results: Langenthal (1st) - Biel (PL) 0:6 (0:4). Grasshoppers - Zurich 0:1 (0:0). Schaffhausen (ChL) - Young Boys 0:1 (0:1). Basel - Sion 2:2 (2:2, 1:2) n.V; 4:1 i.P. Yverdon - Lugano 0:2 (0:0).
