Last minute relief for Lausanne

A goal scored deep into injury time saw a ten-man Lausanne side narrowly avoid defeat on Saturday in their first match of the championship round.

FC Zurich had seemed to be on course for a welcome away win. After taking the lead in the 73rd minute through Georgian striker Michail Kavelaschvili, the visitors were then given a one-man advantage just three minutes later when Lausanne’s French midfielder Olivier Baudry was sent off for a second yellow card.

But with three minutes of injury time played Lausanne midfielder Wagner Gomes broke the hearts of the Zurich fans by grabbing a dramatic equaliser.

With this season’s championship table looking unusually tight, a win would have seen Zurich shoot from last place up to fourth. But after Gomes’s late strike, Gilbert Gress’s side had to console themselves with a climb of just one place up to seventh.

Lausanne, who were themselves looking for a win to climb level with leaders Lugano and Grasshoppers Zurich, remain in fourth place.

Grasshoppers joined Lugano at the top on Friday, following a 2-1 win over defending champions St Gallen.

Lugano will have the chance to pull away from Grasshoppers on Sunday, though, when they take on the new bottom side, Sion. Sunday’s other match sees sixth-placed Servette hosting fifth-placed Basel.

swissinfo with agencies