Sports Mole previews Sunday’s Swiss Super League clash between Servette and Yverdon Sport, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.
Servette will be bidding to make it three straight wins at the start of their Swiss Super League campaign when they host Yverdon Sport on Sunday afternoon.
The Maroons are currently top of the division on six points, while Yverdon Sport have only played once so far his term, opening their campaign with a 2-0 loss to Zurich.
Match preview
Servette are 17-time Swiss Super League champions, but they have not actually won the title since 1999.
The Maroons were third last season, which saw them secure a spot in the Europa League third qualifying round, but they ended the campaign some 13 points off the champions Young Boys.
Thomas Haberli was confirmed as the club’s new head coach last month, and the 50-year-old has made the perfect start to his reign, with the team winning their opening two league games against Luzern and Young Boys.
The 3-1 success over the reigning champions on Wednesday was a statement result, and they will now be eyeing a third straight success in the league before taking on either Sporting Braga or Maccabi Petah Tikva in the first leg of their third qualifying round clash in the Europa League.
Les Grenats, who lifted the Swiss Cup last term, have actually lost two of their last three league games agains Yverdon Sport, including a 2-1 defeat when the two teams last locked horns back in February.
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Yverdon Sport have won the Swiss Challenge League – the country’s second tier – on six occasions, including in 2022-23, which allowed them to return to the top flight for the first time since 2005-06.
The team are playing in just their fifth-ever season at this level of football, and they finished in ninth position last term, nine points clear of the bottom two.
Alessandro Mangiarratti‘s side will again be up against it this season, and they made a disappointing start to their campaign on July 20, suffering a 2-0 loss to Zurich.
Yverdon’s season will not depend on their results against the likes of Servette, but they beat them twice last season, which will hand them confidence heading into this contest.
It is incredibly early in the season, but the champions Young Boys are the team currently propping up the division, having been beaten in their opening two league games of the campaign.
Servette Swiss Super League form:
Yverdon Sport Swiss Super League form:
Team News
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Servette have not reported any fitness concerns ahead of this match, while there are no suspension issues, so the hosts could have a full squad to choose from here.
As a result, it seems unlikely that head coach Haberli will make any changes from the side that shared the 3-1 success over Young Boys on Wednesday night.
A 4-2-3-1 formation should again include Jeremy Guillemenot at centre-forward, while Timothe Cognat is a certainty in the middle of midfield for the home side.
As for Yverdon, Magnus Grodem and Ricardo Azevedo will miss out due to fitness problems.
The away side will also be unable to call upon Mohamed Tijani due to the red card that the defender picked up in the latter stages of the team’s first match of the campaign against Zurich.
Breston Malula is expected to be the player to benefit, with the 23-year-old set for a starting role, while Kevin Carlos is likely to be introduced in the final third of the field.
Servette possible starting lineup:
Mall; Tsunemoto, Rouiller, Baron, Mazikou; Cognat, Ondoua; Stevanovic, Antunes, Kutesa; Guillemenot
Yverdon Sport possible starting lineup:
Bernadoni; Sauthier, Marques, Malula; Loucif, Kacuri, Cespedes, Le Pogam; Komano, Carlos, Rodrigues
We say: Servette 2-0 Yverdon Sport
Yverdon certainly have the players to make this a tricky match for Servette, but the home side have been impressive early in the campaign, and we are fully expecting them to make it nine points from their opening three matches of the new season.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.