Basel take on the visitors Grasshoppers in the round 2 match of Swiss Super League. The match will be played on Saturday, August 2nd at St. Jakob-Park (Basel).
Basel dominated Swiss football in the early 2000s, regularly competing at a high level in European tournaments. Interestingly, their run came to a halt just after claiming their 20th league title — a milestone achievement that was followed by a significant decline. They were dethroned by rivals and struggled for years to reclaim their former glory, aside from a domestic cup win in 2019. But last season they finally returned to the summit, winning both the league and the cup to complete a remarkable double. The team’s resurgence was led by the returning Xherdan Shaqiri, whose 18 goals and 21 assists in the league — with just three from penalties — made him one of the most effective players in the division. Despite this momentum, they started the new campaign with a surprising away defeat to St. Gallen.
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Grasshopper will aim for at least a modest improvement. The Hoppers still hold the national record for most league titles, with 27 championships to their name — far ahead of any other Swiss side. However, their last triumph came back in 2003, and they’ve been in decline ever since. They did manage to lift the Swiss Cup in 2013, but their struggles included relegation and a near miss last spring, when only goal difference kept them above the automatic drop zone. They then cruised through the playoff against Aarau, winning 4-0 in the first leg before a narrow 0-1 defeat in the second sealed survival. The new season began with a thrilling home clash against Luzern, where they lost 2-3 despite showing attacking promise. Defensive fragility remains a major concern, as they conceded multiple goals for the fifth time in their last eight league games.
Grasshopper have won four of the last seven head-to-head encounters, though Basel have also claimed three victories over that period. The reigning champions cannot afford another early slip-up, especially at home, and are expected to assert their dominance. Back Basel to win with a -1.5 goal handicap.
Prediction for the match: Basel to win with -1.5 handicap.
