FCSG wins against Paradiso and is in the round of 16

When FC St.Gallen fell behind 1-0 after five minutes against FC Paradiso, some people might have dismissed it as an accident. The balance of power seemed too clear, the Eastern Swiss team had been too convincing in the Conference League campaign and most of the Super League games, for anyone to seriously believe that they would fail in the Cup round of 32.

Nevertheless, the early goal against us is a warning shot: Stephan Ambrosius and Albert Vallci let goalscorer Evan Rossier escape after a high and wide free kick.

Unfocused, left the opponent too much space

But what gave FCSG fans more food for thought than the goal they conceded was what they saw from their team for much of the first half. There was the equalizer from Albert Vallci, who scored from close range after 21 minutes following a corner kick. Otherwise, the Espen didn’t achieve much. Offensively, they kept getting tangled up, and defensively they left the opposition far too much space. The guests seemed unfocused and sluggish. The 1:1 at half-time reflected what they had seen, and Paradiso had completed its offensive actions more consistently, and the big underdog could even have been in the lead after 45 minutes.

With Görtler and Witzig to the lead

St. Gallen’s head coach Enrico Maassen ordered offensive leader Lukas Görtler onto the pitch during the break. And the Espen immediately became more dominant. They were more consistent in defence and took the lead after 56 minutes through Christian Witzig. St. Gallen’s number 7, who has been in a creative crisis since the start of the season, scored from close range after Lukas Görtler extended a throw-in from new signing Hugo Vandermersch.

As the game progressed, FCSG increasingly controlled the game. Apart from a great chance from Simo Jarel, which Zigi miraculously thwarted, the Super League team did not allow the Ticino team anything else. Shortly before the end, Kevin Csoboth scored the decisive goal, brilliantly set up by Jovan Milosevic.

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