FC Sion beat FC Vaduz 2-0 in Liechtenstein on Matchday 1 of the Challenge League. With goals from Chouaref and Ziegler, the Valais outfit have made the best possible start to their bid for promotion. Sédun's style of play was far more attractive than during their disastrous last season.
47 days after the tragic defeat by SLO at La Pontaise in the second leg of the play-off, which was synonymous with relegation, FC Sion won 2-0 in the Principality. Ilyas Chouaref made it 1-0 in the 21st minute with a superb finish. On 52 minutes, the evergreen Reto Ziegler converted a penalty awarded for a handball in the area.
Didier Tholot's 4-2-3-1 formation, with Kevin Bua playing a little deeper and Ilyas Chouaref giving his all in direct support of the striker, gave his team a balance that his predecessors had been unable to achieve.
Even if it is far too early to draw definitive conclusions, especially for a club that is capable of inventing crises at any moment, FC Sion's performance in Vaduz on Sunday was very appealing. All that remains now is for them to continue in the same vein when Alex Frei's FC Aarau visit Tourbillon on Friday for the first clash of the season.