Young Boys show morale in their last game before the winter break and end a poor first half of the season with a 2-1 home win against Servette.
15.12.2024, 16:14
SDA
It has been a difficult few days for Young Boys since the tragedy surrounding Meschack Elia's son. Football faded into the background, even before kick-off in the Wankdorf. The deceased four-year-old was remembered with a minute's silence after the Servette players had all entered the stadium wearing Elia's number 15 shirt.
The Bernese were probably not quite in the mood for football, the list of absentees was long and their energy reserves were already quite depleted after the long, hectic last few months. All the more remarkable was YB's reaction to the false start to the game after the early 0:1. Darian Males was in the right place twice, after a feed from Cedric Itten in the 37th minute and after a corner kick just seconds after the break.
After going 1-0 up in the 6th minute, Servette came up short. Dereck Kutesa's dribble followed by a low shot for the Swiss international's eleventh goal of the season was for a long time the lone highlight of the game for Geneva, who were without the injured Alexis Antunes as well as the suspended Timothé Cognat. The big opportunity to score a second goal only came in the 83rd minute, when Jérémy Guillemenot hit the post.
With just one win from their last seven games, Geneva have somewhat carelessly squandered a better starting position for the second part of the season in recent weeks. The lead over YB is now only six points. For the Bernese, these are interesting prospects for next year. Whether Joël Magnin will still be coach then remains to be seen.
Telegram:
Young Boys - Servette 2:1 (1:1)
29'215 spectators. - SR Cibelli. - Goals: 6th Kutesa (Simbakoli) 0:1. 37th Males (Itten) 1:1. 46th Males (Lauper) 2:1.
Young Boys: von Ballmoos; Athekame, Lauper, Benito, Blum; Males (91. Imeri), Lakomy, Ugrinic (91. Husic), Virginius (39. Monteiro); Ganvoula (79. Tsimba), Itten.
Servette: Frick; Tsunemoto, Adams, Severin (50. Baron), Mazikou; Rouiller, Ondoua (63. Guillemenot); Magnin, Stevanovic (75. Crivelli), Kutesa; Simbakoli (64. Ouattara).
Remarks: Cautions: 68 Athekame, 82 Males.
