St Gallen defeat Zurich to regain top spot
St Gallen have stolen a 1-0 away victory over rivals FC Zurich thanks to a last ditch penalty in the 91st minute of the Swiss football league game.
The referee awarded the penalty after a foul on St Gallen’s star international player, Sascha Müller, by Zurich’s Wilco Hellinga.
“It was a clear penalty,” said Müller after the game. “Hellinga’s foul wasn’t deliberate, but it gave us a chance. A shame for FC Zurich, but a good result for St Gallen.”
Zurich fans may be smarting at their team’s narrow defeat, but St Gallen coach Marcel Koller said his team’s victory was well deserved.
“We never gave up and always believed we would win,” he said. “We deserved the result we got because we took more risks and made more chances.”
St Gallen’s win saw them regain the league leadership from Grasshoppers Zurich, who were on top for just 24 hours after beating Lausanne 3-1 away on Saturday. A single point now separates the two teams at the top of the table.
Winter champions Lugano are now three points behind St Gallen, following their 1-1 home draw against a 10-man Servette Geneva, while Basel are up to fourth place after winning 1-0 in Sion.
swissinfo with agencies
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