St Gallen stumble in title chase
Reigning Swiss football champions St Gallen suffered a major setback to their title defence on Tuesday after managing only a 2-2 draw at home to Servette Geneva.
Goals from Marc Zellweger and Ionel Gane had seen St Gallen head into the break with a deserved 2-0 lead. But Marcel Koller’s men were pegged back in the second half by a resurgent Servette.
A Lionel Pizzinat header in the 58th minute was followed by an Alex Frei wonder goal in the 72nd, the young Swiss international firing in from outside the area via the underside of the St Gallen crossbar.
The final whistle marked the first time this year that St Gallen have failed to win at home – and the timing could hardly have been worse.
Just a single point now separates St Gallen from their nearest rivals Grasshoppers Zurich, who now have the chance to leap to the top of the table by winning their game in hand against Basel on Wednesday.
When that match has been played there will be just two more rounds to go. Tantalisingly the last game of the season sees Grasshoppers travelling to St Gallen for what could form a deciding playoff for this year’s title.
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