FC St.Gallen celebrates a great success in Turkey. The team from eastern Switzerland win the second leg against Trabzonspor 5:4 on penalties and advance to the Conference League.
August 29 is a date of success for FC St.Gallen. Exactly eleven years after their last appearance in the group stage of a European competition, St. Gallen managed to repeat the feat. In 2013, they defeated Spartak Moscow 4:2 away from home after a 1:1 draw. This year, the team from eastern Switzerland also traveled to the second leg with a draw (0:0) and celebrated their successful qualification.
There were many heroes in Trabzon. The most celebrated were two Ghanaians: Stephan Ambrosius scored the decisive penalty into St. Gallen's fortune, while Lawrence Ati Zigi got the team there in the first place with his saves. As in St.Gallen, the goalkeeper excelled with numerous saves and made his opponents desperate by the dozen.
Aluminum luck in extra time
The visitors put in a committed performance away from home and were rewarded in the 31st minute when the advanced full-back Isaac Schmidt tucked the ball into the net after a pass from Chadrac Akolo. The 24-year-old, who had missed the first leg the previous week through injury, thus crowned his comeback.
The home team got back into the game in the 52nd minute after a corner kick, but missed several good opportunities to take the lead. It was particularly close in the 110th minute when Trezeguet's free kick landed on the St. Gallen crossbar. With the necessary luck, the team from eastern Switzerland fought their way into the penalty shoot-out, at the end of which they emerged victorious.
This is St.Gallen's seventh qualification for a European competition after 1969 (European Cup Winners' Cup), 1983, 1985, 2000, 2001 (UEFA Cup) and 2013 (Europa League). The six opponents the Eastern Swiss will face in their first participation in the Conference League will be drawn on Friday in Monaco.
The telegram
Trabzonspor - St.Gallen 1:1 (1:1, 0:1) n.V. - St.Gallen 4:5 winners on penalties.
SR Treimanis (LVA). - Goals: 31st Schmidt (Akolo) 0:1. 52nd Destan (Barisic) 1:1. - Penalty shoot-out: Denswil 1:0; Milosevic 1:1; Trezeguet 2:1; Vallci 2:2; Barisic 3:2; Cissé 3:3; Dragus 4:3; Toma 4:4; Savic - (crossbar shot); Ambrosius 4:5.
St.Gallen: Ati Zigi; Schmidt (61. Faber), Ambrosius, Vallci, Okoroji (85. Yannick); Görtler, Stevanovic (91. Diaby), Witzig (61. Csoboth); Toma; Geubbels (73. Cissé), Akolo (46. Milosevic).
Notes: 110th goal for Trezeguet.
The live ticker for review
Trabzonspor
FC St.Gallen
- Enis Destan - 1:1 (52.)
- Stefano Denswil - 2:1 (1.P.)
- Mahmoud Trezeguet - 3:2 (2.P.)
- Borna Barišic - 4:3 (3.P.)
- Denis Dragus - 5:4 (4.P.)
- (31.) 0:1 - Isaac Schmidt
- (1.P.) 2:2 - Jovan Milosevic
- (2.P.) 3:3 - Albert Vallci
- (3.P.) 4:4 - Moustapha Cissé
- (4.P.) 5:5 - Bastien Toma
- (5.P.) 5:6 - Stephan Ambrosius
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Liveticker
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Liveticker closed
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121.
There's the goal! Ambrosious doesn't even look! He sinks the no-look penalty and sends St.Gallen into the Conference League!
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121.
Yay! Savic smashes the ball against the crossbar! Trabzonspor - St.Gallen 5:5
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121.
Toma keeps his nerve, Trabzonspor - St.Gallen 5:5
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121.
Dragus scores, Trabzonspor - St.Gallen 5:4
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121.
Cissé ice-cold, Trabzonspor - St.Gallen 4:4
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121.
Barisic scores, Trabzonspor - St.Gallen 4:3
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121.
Vallci makes sure, Trabzonspor - St.Gallen 3:3
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121.
Trezeguet scores, Trabzonspor - St.Gallen 3:2
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121.
Milosevic scores, Trabzonspor - St.Gallen 2:2
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121.
Denswil scores, Trabzonspor - St.Gallen 2:1
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121.
Let's go
Görtler heats up the St.Gallen team in the circle. The referee is ready. Hopefully Zigi is too. The game gets underway. Trabzonspor's Denswil shoots first.
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121.
The game is over - it goes to penalties
Now Zigi must crown his top performance in the penalty shoot-out! The Espen play 1:1 in Trabzon and have to play a nail-biting game.
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120.
One minute of stoppage time
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115.
Cissé misses his third chance
After a corner, St.Gallen are able to establish themselves in the opponent's half. Görtler distributes the ball skillfully until Cissé finally gets a shot on target in the penalty area, but is again denied by Cakir.
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111.
Latenknaller Tabzonspor
Ufff, that was very close. St.Gallen's Ambrosious opts for a tactical foul on the edge of the penalty area and Trabzonspor attacker Trezeguet hammers the resulting free kick onto the crossbar. Zigi would never have got there. Good luck to the Espenos in this scene.
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101.
Cissé fails to beat Cakir
St.Gallen are not doing much up front in extra time so far. In the 101st, Cissé takes a shot from an acute angle from the right but fails to beat Cakir. Shortly afterwards, the St.Gallen player also tries from an acute angle from the left, but fails again.
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99.
Trabzonspor miss the opening goal
That was very close. A shot from substitute Yildirim flies so narrowly over the crossbar that the ball brushes the roof of the goal. Half the stadium in Trabzon is already celebrating the opening goal - but the ball is not in the net.
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91.
Start of extra time
The ball is rolling again. St.Gallen make another change.
Diaby comes on for Stevanovic.
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90. (+9')
Extra time begins
After the referee even adds another minute, it's now over. At least for a few minutes. It's straight back to extra time.
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90. (+5')
St.Gallen in luck - Lundstram misses
Papara Park almost explodes now. In the 95th minute, substitute Lundstram gets his shot away unchallenged on the edge of the penalty area - but luckily hits the ball over the goal. Green-White breathe a sigh of relief.
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90. (+3')
Stoppage time adjusted: +8 minutes
What a spectacular turnaround by the referee team. Instead of the surprisingly short two minutes, eight minutes are now added on. Bastien Toma probably wouldn't have minded the shorter stoppage time, the St.Gallen player is lying on the ground with cramps.
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90. (+2')
Milosevic misses the golden goal
That would have been it! After preparatory work by Csoboth, Milosevic puts the ball just wide of the goal in the 92nd minute.
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90.
Two minutes of stoppage time
The referee team already seem to be preparing for extra time, as there are only two minutes of stoppage time.
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85.
Change for St.Gallen: Noah comes on for Okoroji
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83.
Yellow for Zigi
And it almost rang in the wrong box. Zigi is unsure after a corner and only intervenes half-heartedly. This leads to a Turkish shot that fortunately flies over the goal and a sour Zigi, who receives a yellow card for complaining.
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80.
The game becomes unpredictable
The game is now characterized by uncontrolled long passes forward and the resulting quick ball losses. It is impossible to say which side will score soon - but somehow a goal is in the air.
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73.
Change for St.Gallen: Cissé replaces Geubbels
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70.
The final phase begins
The changes seem to have worked, Maassen has calmed the game down a little. However, St.Gallen have done almost nothing going forward since conceding the goal.
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61.
Double change for St.Gallen
Faber comes on for Schmidt.
Csoboth replaces Witzig.
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59.
Next Zigi save
St.Gallen are now threatening to concede a second goal. The Espen have lost their sense of order and run into trouble time and time again. After a dangerous cross from the left, Trabzonspor goalscorer Destan gets a free header in the middle. Zigi produces another flying tackle and saves this ball too.
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56.
Zigi challenged again
The stadium is now awake again. St.Gallen are booed every time they touch the ball and once again have to hold their own mentally. The Turks enjoy a pressure phase for the first time in this game. A dangerous long-range attempt in the 56th minute sticks with Zigi.
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52.
Goal for Trabzonspor
Enis Destan nods home at the first post from a corner. Zigi has no chance. Unfortunate for St.Gallen, who actually had everything under control here.
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48.
Geubbels shoots over
Milosevic makes his first appearance with a wonderful tunnel. Geubbels takes the ball in front of the penalty area, could play Milosevic again, but decides to shoot. Unfortunately, the ball flies wide of the goal.
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46.
Change for St.Gallen: Milosevic comes on for Akolo
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45. (+4')
St.Gallen lead at the break
Intermission whistle in Trabzon. FC St.Gallen are on course for the Conference League group stage after a strong performance. The action continues.
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45. (+1')
St.Gallen sleep - Zigi holds
After a free-kick decision for Trabzonspor in the middle of the pitch, which half the St.Gallen team apparently interpreted as a decision for the Whites, things suddenly happen quickly. The St.Gallen pressing is missing and Orsic gets a shot off. Zigi makes a long save and scratches the ball out of the corner.
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42.
Akolo misses the next chance
St.Gallen continue to press and look for their second goal before the break. Schmidt runs free on the right. His low cross is let through by Toma and finds Akolo on the edge of the penalty area. The striker does not hit the ball perfectly and puts his shot a few meters over the goal.
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38.
Geubbels fails to beat Cakir
Despite taking the lead and the first great Turkish chance, FC St. Gallen refuse to relinquish control of the game. Geubbels worked his way onto a long ball and simply shot from a good 20 meters out. However, his shot lands in the hands of Trabzonspor goalkeeper Ugurcan Cakir.
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35.
Zigi makes his first appearance
After his numerous saves in the first leg, Zigi was not called upon for the first time in Trabzon until the 35th minute. But a real one. After a header from close range, Zigi somehow heaves the ball out of the corner. What an act from the St.Gallen goalkeeper!
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31.
Goal for St.Gallen
There's the goal! After a St.Gallen throw-in in their own half of the pitch, Witzig passes to Toma at lightning speed. He in turn immediately finds Akolo on the left and sends him towards the penalty area. Once there, Akolo sees that Isaac Schmidt has run free in the back on the right-hand side. A precise pass later, Schmidt smashes the ball straight into the far corner with his left foot. 1:0 for St.Gallen!
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23.
Schmidt misses St.Gallen's opening goal
After a beautifully executed attack down the right, Geubbels heads the ball into the penalty area to the free-running Schmidt. However, Schmidt's shot from an acute angle is blocked by a Turkish defender, who throws himself into the shot at the last second. Toma, who then has the ball at his feet, also fails with his attempt against the Turkish defense.
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15.
St.Gallen unimpressed by the hot atmosphere
The Turkish crowd are starting to make their opinion known about their team's weak start. The St.Gallen players are repeatedly showered with whistles. However, this does not prevent the eastern Swiss from maintaining control of the game.
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10.
St.Gallen get off to a good start
Enrico Maassen's team are clearly setting the pace here. They are present in the tackles and control the game. Not much to see from Trabzonspor so far. However, anyone who has not forgotten the first leg will know how strong the Turks can be in attack.
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6.
Akolo tries from distance
St.Gallen are doing very well so far. Cheeky combination play through the middle allows the next dangerous advance. This time, Akolo overlooks Schmidt on the right and tries from distance instead. However, it remains an attempt and the ball flies wide of the goal.
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2.
St.Gallen miss out on an early lead
What a start for the Espen: Okoroji has plenty of space on the left and can move into the penalty area unchallenged. He looks to pass to Görtler, who is completely free, but stumbles just as he is about to play the ball and it rolls out. Now that would have been a start.
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1.
Let's go!
Players and referees are ready. Let's go. The ball is rolling at Papara Park, the cauldron in Trabzon.
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This is how FC St.Gallen start the match
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The Trabzonspor line-up
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The starting position: victory or penalty shoot-out
FC St.Gallen need a win in the second leg at Trabzonspor to qualify for the group stage of the Conference League. After the 0-0 draw in the first leg, a draw could also be enough to progress - but only if the Espen win the subsequent penalty shoot-out.
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First leg at Kybunpark ended 0-0
A reminder: FC St.Gallen drew 0-0 at home against Trabzonspor in the Conference League play-off first leg. After a weak first half, the team from eastern Switzerland turned on the heat towards the end and had a problem with the VAR shortly before the end. Click here for the match report.
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Lukas Görtler: "I was never one of the most talented players"
Lukas Görtler is captain and an integral figure at FC St.Gallen. In the format "My career", the German looks back on his career to date with blue Sport.
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Hello...
... and welcome to the live ticker for the match between Trabzonspor and St.Gallen. Here we keep you up to date with the Conference League play-off second leg in Trabzon.
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121.+7.End of match
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121.+Goal for FC St.Gallen, 5:6 through penalties from Stephan Ambrosius
Stephan Ambrosius
Defender
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121.+Trabzonspor misses penalty
Stefan Savic
Defender
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121.+Goal for FC St.Gallen, 5:5 through penalties from Bastien Toma
Bastien Toma
Midfielder
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121.+Goal for Trabzonspor, 5:4 through penalties from Denis Dragus
Denis Dragus
Striker
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121.+Goal for FC St.Gallen, 4:4 through penalties from Moustapha Cissé
Moustapha Cissé
Striker
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121.+Goal for Trabzonspor, 4:3 through penalties from Borna Barišic
Borna Barišic
Defender
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121.+Goal for FC St.Gallen, 3:3 through penalties from Albert Vallci
Albert Vallci
Defender
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121.+Goal for Trabzonspor, 3:2 through penalties from Mahmoud Trezeguet
Mahmoud Trezeguet
Striker
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121.+Goal for FC St.Gallen, 2:2 through penalties from Jovan Milosevic
Jovan Milosevic
Striker
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121.+Goal for Trabzonspor, 2:1 through penalties from Stefano Denswil
Stefano Denswil
Defender
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121.Penalty kick
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120.+2.End of 2nd half extra time
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109.Yellow card FC St.Gallen
Stephan Ambrosius
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106.Kick-off 2nd half extra time
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105.+2.End of 1st half extra time
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91.Substitution in FC St.Gallen
Abdoulaye Diaby
Defender
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91.Substitution out FC St.Gallen
Mihailo Stevanovic
Midfielder
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91.Substitution in Trabzonspor
Poyraz Efe Yildirim
Striker
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91.Substitution out Trabzonspor
Edin Višca
Midfielder
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91.Kick-off 1st half extra time
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90.+10.End of 2nd half
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90.+1.Substitution in Trabzonspor
John Lundstram
Midfielder
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90.+1.Substitution out Trabzonspor
Okay Yokuslu
Midfielder
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89.Yellow card FC St.Gallen
Yannick Noah
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85.Substitution in FC St.Gallen
Yannick Noah
Defender
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85.Substitution out FC St.Gallen
Chima Okoroji
Defender
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83.Yellow card FC St.Gallen
Lawrence Ati-Zigi
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76.Substitution in Trabzonspor
Mahmoud Trezeguet
Striker
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76.Substitution out Trabzonspor
Mislav Oršic
Midfielder
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76.Substitution in Trabzonspor
Denis Dragus
Striker
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76.Substitution out Trabzonspor
Enis Destan
Striker
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73.Substitution in FC St.Gallen
Moustapha Cissé
Striker
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73.Substitution out FC St.Gallen
Willem Geubbels
Striker
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65.Yellow card FC St.Gallen
Lukas Görtler
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61.Substitution in FC St.Gallen
Konrad Faber
Defender
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61.Substitution out FC St.Gallen
Isaac Schmidt
Defender
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61.Substitution in FC St.Gallen
Kevin Csoboth
Striker
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61.Substitution out FC St.Gallen
Christian Witzig
Midfielder
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52.Goal for Trabzonspor, 1:1 through Enis Destan
Enis Destan
Striker
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46.Substitution in Trabzonspor
Cihan Canak
Striker
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46.Substitution out Trabzonspor
Enis Bardhi
Midfielder
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46.Substitution in Trabzonspor
Pedro Malheiro
Striker
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46.Substitution out Trabzonspor
Ozan Tufan
Defender
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46.Substitution in FC St.Gallen
Jovan Milosevic
Striker
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46.Substitution out FC St.Gallen
Chadrac Akolo
Striker
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46.Kick-off 2nd half
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45.+4.End of 1st half
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31.Goal for FC St.Gallen, 0:1 through Isaac Schmidt
Isaac Schmidt
Defender
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1.Start of the match