Lausanne-Sport end six-match losing streak with 1-1 draw at GC

An early lead for the hosts

Grasshoppers took the lead in the 29th minute through Kenzo Goudmijn, the Dutch forward's first goal for the club. Samuel Krasniqi was involved in most of GC's dangerous moves in the first half, and his volley off a high ball did not connect cleanly, so the ball dropped to Goudmijn, who only had to finish from close range. The first half offered little quality, with errors rather than chances deciding most of the play.

Lausanne press after the break

After the interval the visitors dominated. Justin Hammel kept them out repeatedly, stopping a curling shot from Enzo Molebe in the 58th minute and two attempts by Omar Janneh in the 71st and 80th minutes. Olivier Custodio struck the post in the 78th minute, and Lausanne-Sport finished with 17 shots and 14 corners. Hammel briefly removed his gloves in the second half because of pain in his hand, but he stayed on.

Traoré's late equaliser

Ludovic Magnin returned to the Lausanne bench for a second spell as head coach, replacing Luka Elsner, who had been released earlier that week. The 47-year-old's side had lost six Super League matches in a row before this game. Seydou Traoré, a substitute brought on by Magnin, equalised in the 85th minute after a move involving Ibrahim Bah Mendes, his first league goal of the season. The equaliser came after Lausanne-Sport had pushed for a goal throughout the second half without success.

Bah Mendes said:

“We must take the positive and keep working.”

Table picture

GC remain four points above Lausanne-Sport, who stay at the bottom of the table. The Zürich side are unbeaten in three rounds but have not won a league game in six matches. Olaf Janssen is still waiting for his first league win in charge of GC. Lausanne-Sport had not won a league match in 11 games. Referee Hüseyin Sanli officiated before 4,206 spectators at the Letzigrund, and the league now pauses for the international break.

Background to Lausanne's crisis

A week before this match, Lausanne-Sport lost 5-4 to Thun after leading 4-1, a game played as the club celebrated its 130th anniversary. The club's ownership history includes a turbulent late 20th and early 21st century under leaders who could not secure its finances, before new owners stabilised it and handed over to INEOS. Magnin's return came as the club sought to stop a slide that had left it level with no points gained in its recent league outings.