Top of the League!

Scott Chipperfield bags a hat-trick as FC Basel demolish an out-of-their-depth FC Vaduz at St Jakob Park on Saturday evening.  Marco Streller and Eren Derdiyok also on the scoresheet in the 5-0 win.

How Vaduz had managed to overcome Young Boys the week before is a mystery.  It was the Liechtensteiners second visit to Joggeli – the first was a 4-0 FCB win – and the side are real cannon fodder.  How FC Luzern sit adrift from them at the bottom of the table only they can know.

I said that FC Aarau had showed little attacking desire two weeks ago, but that was nothing compared to Vaduz who rarely got out of the own half.  And a problem for them is don’t try and park a bus if you’ve only just learnt how to ride a bike.  Defensively at sixes and sevens although Chippie was in imperious form on the left side.  Their misery was compounded as they finished the game with only nine men and coach Pierre Littbarski - a World Cup winner in 1990 – has much work to do with a team a non-World beaters.

The win propelled FC Basel to the top of the Swiss Super League and they knew FC Zürich had a difficult trip to Bern. on the Sunday  A near capacity crowd at the Wankdorf saw a six-goal thriller which went the way of the hosts – bringing them back into the title hunt – as two penalties saw them win by four goals to two.  Züri had complaints about the penalties and coach Bernard Challandes is cutting a frustrating figure in press conferences.  A complete contrast to the ice cool Christian Gross.  A mini Alex Ferguson against Kevin Keegan happening in Swiss football?  That maybe the case, but even if Mr Gross is playing the ice man I can assure you that the Basel fans would absolutely love it if they could stay top for the rest of the season!