Lugano steam ahead, amid a glut of goals

Lugano striker, Julio Herman Rossi (middle), is crowded out against FC Zurich on Saturday. Keystone

Football fans enjoyed an avalanche of goals during the third round of the new season, with 11 goals in Basel. But it was a single all-important goal which confirmed Lugano at the top of the table.

The most extraordinary game of the season so far took place in Basel. The home team were three up in the first 14 minutes but Lucerne drew level by half-time. Lucerne were hit by a second-half goal flurry, losing 7-4. Basel’s Cameroonian striker, Tchouga, scored a hat-trick bringing his season’s tally to seven goals in three games.

The match saw goalkeeper Pascal Zuberbühler play his last game for Basel before his transfer to Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga. Despite letting in four goals, he was given a royal send-off by fans.

Grasshoppers Zurich roared back into form with a 6-0 thrashing of Neuchatel Xamax, who had themselves beaten Basel in a mid-week match. Yakin scored two of the goals for Grasshoppers.

Last year’s champions, St Gallen, put in a solid – if unspectacular – performance at home to lowly Aarau, winning 3-0. St Gallen were watched by officials from Galatasaray of Istanbul who will be their opponents in the next qualifying round for the Champions League.

It was another frustrating afternoon for Aarau boss Rolf Fringer, who saw his team create some good chances but convert none of them. Aarau are now bottom having failed to win a single point from their first three games.

At the other end of the table, Gimenez again scored a vital goal for Lugano, who beat FC Zurich 1-0. Lugano, unfancied before the season’s start, are now the only team with a 100 per cent record, and are three points clear of a clutch of other teams.

In Saturday’s other results Lausanne enjoyed a 4-0 win over Servette Geneva while Yverdon slipped to second from bottom after losing 1-0 at home to newly-promoted Sion.

swissinfo with agencies