Cup drama in Basel Penalty hero Hitz saves twice and secures FCB's place in the quarter-finals

Tobias Benz

4.12.2024

FC Basel advance to the Cup quarter-finals.
FC Basel advance to the Cup quarter-finals.
KEYSTONE

FC Basel have reached the Cup quarter-finals for the third time in a row. The team of coach Fabio Celestini wins the duel of the 13-time cup winners against Sion in a penalty shoot-out. Marwin Hitz was the hero with two saves.

It was a real cup fight between Basel and Sion, which was tied 2-2 after 120 minutes and at the end of which FCB had the better nerves in the penalty shoot-out. While all of the home team's shooters scored, Marwin Hitz saved two of the Valais side's attempts and guided his team into the last eight.

There was a lot to be said in FC Basel's favor before the match. On the one hand, there was their strength in form. The Super League leaders had won six of their last eight games and only lost once. FC Sion were an opponent who had not yet torn too many strings away from home, had only won twice away from home in the league and twice in the cup this season - and who last won in Basel more than nine years ago.

Basel had all the advantages on their side at the latest after the early opening goal. It was another one of those Shaqiri moments that steered the game in the direction many expected early on. In the 5th minute, the former Swiss international curled a free kick he had taken himself around the Valais wall from around 20 meters out, leaving Timothy Fayulu in the visitors' goal with no chance of defending.

Despite having the lead at the back, FCB looked disjointed and repeatedly invited their opponents to launch dangerous counter-attacks by losing the ball in the forward movement. Two such counter-attacks led to two goals in the space of eight minutes in the first half, with Basel central defender Nicolas Vouilloz at the origin of both and Théo Bouchlarhem scoring with a bit of luck at the end following an assist from Ilyas Chouaref.

FC Basel were only able to break down the Valais defense in the final phase. It was a wonderful long-range shot from substitute Anton Kade that equalized in the 86th minute and saved the Basel team from going into extra time.

Telegram

Basel - Sion 2:2 (1:2, 2:2) n.V.; 4:1 i.P. - SR Schärer. - Goals: 5. Shaqiri 1:0. 29. Bouchlarhem 1:1. 38. Bouchlarhem 1:2. 86. Kade 2:2. - Penalty shoot-out: Shaqiri 1:0, Souza - (FCB goalie Hitz saves); Kade 2:0, Schmied - (Hitz saves); Kevin Carlos 3:0, Baltazar 3:1; Fink 4:1.

The other round of 16. On Tuesday: Langenthal (1st) - Biel (PL) 0:6 (0:4). Grasshoppers - Zurich 0:1 (0:0). On Wednesday: Schaffhausen (ChL) - Young Boys 0:1 (0:1). Yverdon - Lugano 0:2 (0:0). On Thursday: Aarau (ChL) - Etoile Carouge (ChL) 20.00. Bellinzona (ChL) - St. Gallen 20.30. Winterthur - Lausanne 20.30

The live ticker for review

FC Basel

Completed
4:1
(1:2)

FC Sion

  • Xherdan Shaqiri - 1:0 (5.)
  •  
  •  
  • Anton Kade - 2:2 (86.)
  • Xherdan Shaqiri - 3:2 (1.P.)
  • Anton Kade - 4:2 (2.P.)
  • Kevin Omoruyi - 5:2 (3.P.)
  •  
  • Bradley Fink - 6:3 (4.P.)
  •  
  • (30.) 1:1 - Théo Bouchlarhem
  • (38.) 1:2 - Théo Bouchlarhem
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  • (3.P.) 5:3 - Baltazar
  •  
  • Liveticker
    New posts
  • Liveticker closed
  • 121.

    FC Basel advance to the quarter-finals of the Swiss Cup

  • 121.

    Fink scores! Basel - Sion 6:3

  • 121.

    Baltazar scores! Basel - Sion 5:3

  • 121.

    Carlos scores! Basel - Sion 5:2

  • 121.

    Hitz also saves against Schmied! Basel - Sion 4:2

  • 121.

    Kade scores! Basel - Sion 4:2

  • 121.

    Hitz saves against Souza! Basel - Sion 3:2

  • 121.

    Shaqiri scores! Basel - Sion 3:2

  • 115.

    Kade picks up the pace again, but is pushed aside by the Sion defense. Nothing comes of the chance.

  • 108.

    A serious mistake by Adjetey! Chouaref tries to capitalize on it and moves in alone on Hitz, but Barisic is quicker and saves for Basel at the last second.

  • 103.

    Kade gets a shot away in the Wallis penalty area, but his shot from an acute angle lands next to the goal.

  • 94.

    Chouaref is played in on the edge of the box, but his direct shot flies wide of the goal.

  • 89.

    There are 3 minutes of added time

  • 86.

    Kade redeems the FCB

    In the 86th minute, Anton Kade takes the ball from Lavanchy, moves to the middle and simply shoots from distance - and how! The ball hits the high right corner and makes the Joggeli explode. 2:2! Extra time is now on the cards.

  • 80.

    Basel run out of ideas, Sion counter-attack

    Lavanchy picks up the pace after the halfway line. With nowhere to play, he decides to finish, but a Basel defender deflects the shot into the net.

  • 70.

    Basel try hard but are unsuccessful

    FC Basel hold onto the ball well, but are not compelling enough. There are still 20 minutes plus stoppage time left for the all-important equalizer.

  • 60.

    Basel press for the equalizer

    FC Sion have not had much to do in the second half so far. It's really only FCB playing - but so far unsuccessfully.

  • 44.

    There are 2 minutes of added time

  • 38.

    Bouchlarhem scores the brace

    Another mistake from Vouilloz. His pass ends up with Sion's Lavanchy and, after a quick counter-attack, it is Bouchlarhem again who is in the right place in the middle after a pass from the right. The game is turned around, Sion lead 2:1.

  • 30.

    Bouchlarhem scores the equalizer

    Basel defender Vouilloz makes a serious mistake, which leaves him completely out of position. Sion take advantage of the situation: Chouaref passes into the middle, where Théo Bouchlarhem hits the ball inaccurately but still manages to steer it into the corner. Hitz has no chance of defending.

  • 26.

    Fayulu prevents 2:0 for Basel

    Shaqiri works his magic again and sets Traoré free, but he fails to beat Sion keeper Fayulu from point-blank range. The score remains 1:0.

  • 20.

    Basel control the lead

    FCB have the game under control after taking the lead early on. Nevertheless, there is a setback for the home team, Baro has to leave the pitch injured and is replaced by Taulant Xhaka.

  • 5.

    Shaqiri magic at the Joggeli

    FCB get off to a lightning start against Sion. Xherdan Shaqiri conjures up a free kick from a half-left position past the wall and into the bottom corner. There's nothing to stop it. 1:0 for Basel.

  • 1.

    The ball rolls

    Referee Schärer blows the whistle. Let's go.

  • #

    This is how FC Sion play

  • #

    The FC Basel line-up

  • 121.+7.
    End of match
  • 121.+
    Goal for FC Basel, 6:3 through penalties from Bradley Fink

    Bradley Fink

    Striker

  • 121.+
    Goal for FC Sion, 5:3 through penalties from Baltazar

    Baltazar

    Midfielder

  • 121.+
    Goal for FC Basel, 5:2 through penalties from Kevin Omoruyi

    Kevin Omoruyi

    Striker

  • 121.+
    FC Sion misses penalty

    Joël Schmied

    Defender

  • 121.+
    Goal for FC Basel, 4:2 through penalties from Anton Kade

    Anton Kade

    Midfielder

  • 121.+
    FC Sion misses penalty

    Cristian Souza

    Midfielder

  • 121.+
    Goal for FC Basel, 3:2 through penalties from Xherdan Shaqiri

    Xherdan Shaqiri

    Striker

  • 121.
    Penalty kick
  • 120.+2.
    End of 2nd half extra time
  • 113.
    Substitution in FC Sion

    Mouhsen Bouriga

    Striker

  • 113.
    Substitution out FC Sion

    Ilyas Chouaref

    Striker

  • 106.
    Substitution in FC Basel

    Moussa Cissé

    Defender

  • 106.
    Substitution out FC Basel

    Dominik Schmid

    Defender

  • 106.
    Kick-off 2nd half extra time
  • 105.+2.
    End of 1st half extra time
  • 103.
    Substitution in FC Sion

    Jan Kronig

    Defender

  • 103.
    Substitution out FC Sion

    Ali Kabacalman

    Midfielder

  • 101.
    Yellow card FC Sion

    Ali Kabacalman

  • 98.
    Yellow card FC Sion

    Baltazar

  • 91.
    Kick-off 1st half extra time
  • 90.+4.
    End of 2nd half
  • 86.
    Goal for FC Basel, 2:2 through Anton Kade

    Anton Kade

    Midfielder

  • 75.
    Substitution in FC Sion

    Dejan Sorgic

    Striker

  • 75.
    Substitution out FC Sion

    Théo Bouchlarhem

    Midfielder

  • 75.
    Substitution in FC Basel

    Bradley Fink

    Striker

  • 75.
    Substitution out FC Basel

    Marin Soticek

    Midfielder

  • 64.
    Substitution in FC Basel

    Kevin Omoruyi

    Striker

  • 64.
    Substitution out FC Basel

    Albian Ajeti

    Striker

  • 64.
    Substitution in FC Basel

    Anton Kade

    Midfielder

  • 64.
    Substitution out FC Basel

    Bénie Traoré

    Midfielder

  • 63.
    Substitution in FC Sion

    Cristian Souza

    Midfielder

  • 63.
    Substitution out FC Sion

    Liam Chipperfield

    Midfielder

  • 51.
    Yellow card FC Sion

    Théo Bouchlarhem

  • 46.
    Substitution in FC Basel

    Jonas Adjei Adjetey

    Defender

  • 46.
    Substitution out FC Basel

    Nicolas Vouilloz

    Defender

  • 46.
    Kick-off 2nd half
  • 45.+5.
    End of 1st half
  • 42.
    Yellow card FC Sion

    Ilyas Chouaref

  • 40.
    Yellow card FC Basel

    Nicolas Vouilloz

  • 38.
    Goal for FC Sion, 1:2 through Théo Bouchlarhem

    Théo Bouchlarhem

    Midfielder

  • 30.
    Goal for FC Sion, 1:1 through Théo Bouchlarhem

    Théo Bouchlarhem

    Midfielder

  • 20.
    Substitution in FC Basel

    Taulant Xhaka

    Midfielder

  • 20.
    Substitution out FC Basel

    Romário Baró

    Midfielder

  • 5.
    Goal for FC Basel, 1:0 through Xherdan Shaqiri

    Xherdan Shaqiri

    Striker

  • 1.
    Start of the match