Neuchatel Xamax v Aarau

Neuchatel Xamax will become the side that FC Aarau have played most often in Switzerland by the time March 2023 comes around. It isn’t a fixture that they have enjoyed too much over the years, their hosts on Friday night have the superior record, but they did win 3-0 here at the end of last season and will be hoping to record their first victory of the Challenge League campaign in match number 122 of this fixture.

Aarau looked set to start with victory over Vaduz at Brugglifeld last week until they were denied by a late Dejan Djokic equaliser. It was a fair result in the end given the number of chances that the visitors passed up in the game.

Xamax were soundly beaten on their travels to FC Wil and the Lidl Arena on Matchday 1. They controlled the possession in the match against a team that conceded eighty goals last season, but they were only able to muster six shots in total and were undone by two goals just before the half-time break. Xamax did lose some key players over the summer, including top scorer Louis Mafouta, but they have recruited well with the signings of Del Toro, Fatkic and Balaruban and can also call on the vastly experienced 39-year-old Raphael Nuzzolo. These are two of the teams to have suffered the most disruption in terms of departures and arrivals after last season. They both lost key players and have made some good signings to replace them, but it is clear from their opening matches that there will be some time required to gel. That could make for an entertaining game at the Maladiere in a fixture that usually is high-scoring. Eight of the last nine have ended with at least three goals and I predict the same here

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Lausanne v Schaffhausen

Lausanne and Schaffhausen experienced differing fortunes on the opening night of the 22/23 Challenge League season. LS suffered an away defeat in baking temperatures to newly-promoted Bellinzona on Saturday while Schaffhausen edged out Thun in a 1-0 victory at WeFox Arena on Saturday.

LS were expected to show their title-winning credentials at the Stadio Comunale under new coach Ludovic Magnin. The squad he has assembled in pre-season has been heavily tipped for a quick return to the top-flight, but they were quickly reminded that nothing is given out for free in the Swiss second tier. With 61% possession and 14 shots compared to the 6 of their hosts, it was a match that LS dominated but ultimately failed to take anything from.

It was a similar story further north. Schaffhausen’s squad is paper-thin after little summer recruitment, but they were able to start with the three points against a visiting FC Thun side that amassed 21 shots and hit the woodwork twice in the match.

The record books will show victories for Bellinzona and Schaffhausen on day one, but I don’t think these results are as they seem. LS had such a level of control and the goals will inevitably follow as they click into gear. Schaffhausen did enough to win but are overreliant on Raul Bobadilla. I think, especially at home, LS will lay down their marker against an FCS that doesn’t possess the all-round firepower to cause an upset.

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Thun v Bellinzona

Thun have made some personnel changes and will be wary of the time needed to bed in new players, but they still would’ve been disappointed with their 1-0 defeat to Schaffhausen. They host Bellinzona at the Stockhorn Arena for their first home match of the season on Friday and will be keen to bounce back for a couple of reasons. Of course, they want to improve their performance and get on the board, but they also need to improve their home form if they are to have realistic promotion ambitions. FCT may have won the third-highest amount of matches at home in 22/23 but were also tied with Xamax and Aarau for most defeats (outwith SC Kriens).

Bellinzona made a splash themselves with their narrow victory over Lausanne. It was the perfect storm at the Comunale as they shocked the title favourites in sweltering temperatures. The result provides a real confidence boost for ACB and will give them plenty of belief that they have the capability of staying up. Having brought in a few experienced players at this level, you wouldn’t count them out.

While Thun have freshened up in some positions, they have only made a couple of changes defensively. There is still concern about their fragility at the back after they conceded the third-highest amount of home goals in the last year.

Thun have made a lot of changes I’ve liked and I think they should provide more of a threat this season. I do still have question marks about their defence though and believe Bellinzona, especially with 19-goal (20/21) Rodrigo Pollero in the squad, can cause them problems.

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Stade Lausanne-Ouchy v FC Wil

It is a welcome return home to the Stade Juan Antonio Samarach for Stade Lausanne-Ouchy after last summer’s stay at the Pontaise stadium that was recently vacated by Lausanne-Sport. FC Wil make the trip in a buoyant mood after their win over Neuchatel Xamax and will look to make it an unhappy homecoming for SLO.

Both of these teams were disappointing in the 21/22 campaign as they finished just three points apart and outside of the top five. SLO ended down in seventh while FC Wil occupied ninth, their season mostly remembered for their remarkable ability to score a lot of goals, they had the joint-fourth highest total in the league with 68, and also their ability to concede, they were second only to relegated SC Kriens with a whopping 80 goals conceded.

SLO’s opening game was an extremely tight match with Yverdon-Sport. They came unstuck after a second-half penalty but created just as many chances as YS on the night. Wil’s aforementioned win and clean sheet over Xamax was just the right way to begin, and also encouragement that they won’t be so leaky at the back this time around.

Wil have changed their centre-back pairing but many players still remain from last season. I don’t think they can possibly be as flimsy defensively in 22/23, but I’m not convinced they are solid either and could struggle at an SLO side that has only failed to score four times in 35 home Challenge League matches. I think we will have goals here.

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