FCB Stumbles in Season Opener as Magnin's Debut Ends in Disappointment
Well, the new Super League season didn’t exactly start the way FC Basel had hoped — especially not for their brand-new coach Ludovic Magnin. His debut on the Basel sideline turned out to be a frustrating one, with the reigning champions falling 1:2 away at St. Gallen, despite taking an early lead.
The match had barely begun when both sides went at each other with full intensity. Basel had the first big chance — but miscommunication between Philip Otele and Nicolas Vouilloz saw the opportunity wasted. Moments later, Basel keeper Marwin Hitz had to come to the rescue with a brilliant save against Willem Geubbels. That set the tone for what turned into a very open and unpredictable encounter.
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Basel did eventually break the deadlock in the 40th minute — though not in the way you might expect. A Shaqiri corner led to some pinball in the box, and it was St. Gallen’s own captain, Lukas Görtler, who deflected the ball into his own net. Not exactly how you want to make your mark, but Basel were in front nonetheless.
After the break, the momentum began to shift. Albian Ajeti had a golden chance to double Basel’s lead but couldn’t convert. Then came Görtler’s redemption: in the 56th minute, he made up for his earlier error by scrambling home the equalizer after a corner. From that point, the tide had clearly turned.
Substitute Kevin Carlos had a huge opportunity to restore Basel’s lead when he was played through one-on-one in the 73rd minute. He opted for a cheeky chip — and it completely flopped. And as fate would have it, just two minutes later, St. Gallen struck the winner. A deflected cross found its way to Geubbels, who looped a header over Hitz into the net. The reaction from Basel? Practically non-existent. The final whistle confirmed it: Basel had lost their season opener — again.
Captain Xherdan Shaqiri didn’t hold back in his post-match comments. He criticized the lack of focus among his teammates, saying not everyone was mentally at 100 percent. He especially called out the substitutes, arguing that whoever comes in must be ready to deliver. Coach Magnin seemed to agree, admitting that the team had plenty of chances but lacked the killer instinct to finish them off.
For context, this isn’t the first time Basel has started a season poorly — in fact, they haven’t won a league opener in four years. Now all eyes are on their next home match against Grasshoppers. With bigger challenges like Young Boys and Lugano just around the corner, pressure is already mounting for Basel to bounce back quickly.
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