The curtain-raiser of the 2024-25 Swiss Super League season will come from Stade Municipal where Yverdon Sport will take on FC Zurich on Saturday afternoon.
Yverdon ended last season two places above the drop zone with 49 points, while the visitors posted 40 points and secured fourth spot with a flurry of victories at the death.
Match preview
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After successfully navigating their first season back in the Super League since 2005-06 last time out, Yverdon Sport are now embarking on their fifth top-flight season, likely with hopes of cracking the top six places.
They finished last term with a progressive 47 points at the end of the playoff phase, only two points behind Winterthur, who were the bottom side in the Championship group of the competition.
Across 38 league games, Yverdon managed a record of 13 wins, eight draws and 17 losses, while they also underwent a change of leadership with Alessandro Mangiarratti replacing Marco Schallibaum at the end of October.
Since his arrival, Mangiarratti has overseen a total of 26 games for YS and has managed a record of nine wins, four draws and 13 losses. At home, the new boss only tasted defeat once in 10 matches in 2024, while winning eight and drawing one of the remaining nine fixtures.
Key to moving up the table for the hosts this season will be improving their defensive performances, having shipped a total of 71 goals last term, which was the second-most in the league behind relegated Stade Lausane-Ouchy.
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Meanwhile, after a shocking 2022-23 season, which saw them drop to eighth place after being crowned league champions the season prior, Zurich had a much better 2023-24 campaign, finishing fourth in the top-flight standings.
After entering the playoffs in sixth place, FCZ ended last season with four consecutive victories, which was the best record of any team in the division over that period, allowing them to leapfrog St. Gallen and Winterthur to claim the final automatic European qualifier spot.
Zurich's end-of-season flurry was overseen by Ricardo Moniz, who took charge on an interim basis for the final five games of the campaign, and given the positive start he made, the club opted to retain his services, handing him a two-year contract during the offseason.
The Dutchman is yet to lose an away match, with his only defeat to date coming at home against perennial league champions Young Boys in his first match in charge on May 5.
Notably, in the last three league matches between these sides, the team playing at home has taken the points. Yverdon won at this venue 3-2 in March and 3-0 a month earlier, while Zurich claimed a 2-0 victory on their home patch last July.
Team News
Yverdon are likely to be without the services of at least three players for this season-opener, including Silva, Johan Kury and Varol Tasar, all of whom are also likely to miss most of the early season with cruciate ligament injuries.
Jason Gnakpa and former Viktoria Plzen man Mohamed Tijani were brought in during the transfer window and they will be hoping to make their debuts in central defence this weekend.
For the visitors, Rodrigo Conceicao is set to miss the start of the season as he continues his recovery following knee surgery last June. Nevio Di Giusto and Silvan Wallner are flagged as doubts due to muscle strains.
Zurich secured a few noteworthy loan deals this summer, bringing in the likes of Stuttgart forward Juan Jose Perea and Ludogorets left-winger Mounir Chouiar. Nigerian teenager Umeh Emmanuel is the only summer purchase so far, arriving for just over £1m from Botev Plovdiv.
Yverdon Sport possible starting lineup:
Bernardoni; Gunnarsson, Tijani, Marques, Sauthier, Le Pogam, Kacuri, Cespedes, Kone, Komano, Azevedo
FC Zurich possible starting lineup:
Brecher; Katic, Kamberi, Kryeziu, Tosic; Conde, Reichmuth, Marchesano, Krasniqi; Okita, Afriyie
We say: Yverdon Sport 2-2Y FC Zurich
It is always difficult to predict how sides are likely to perform in the first match of a new season, especially with two fairly new managers in the dugout and with several new players likely to feature.
Matches between these two typically produce goals and we expect more of the same here as both teams get up to full speed.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Devesh Jaganath
