Buoyed by last weekend's last-gasp win in Vaduz, FC Sion now face a second big away game. The Valais outfit take on Schaffhausen at the Berformance Arena on Friday.
The context
FC Sion were perhaps expected to drop their first points of 2024 at the Rheinpark on Friday. Four minutes from time, the Sédunois were trailing by one point. Didier Tholot's men dominated the second half, but needed a brace from Dejan Sorgic (86', 94') to claim three precious points in the battle for top spot.
A week later, the Valaisans cross Switzerland once again to take on FC Schaffhausen. Week after week, the aim remains the same: to stay in the lead.
The opposition
Schaffhausen have had an eventful off-season. Thirteen new arrivals have joined the club, while eight departures have been announced. Sporting director and former Swiss international Admir Mehmedi has drastically strengthened his squad. Some of the new faces are familiar, such as Ermir Lenjani, who wore the Valais jersey from 2017 to 2020.
With just 14 points at Christmas, Christian Wimmer's side have already picked up 10 points since the start of the season. Now in eighth place, Schaffhausen have got off to a perfect start in their bid to stay up. The Berformance Arena outfit were bottom of the table when Mehmedi was appointed sporting director.
The stakes
The duel between FC Thun and FC Sion continues. With a four-point lead over the Bernese side, FC Sion are aiming to keep it as close as possible until the clash between the two sides on 15 March. Schaffhausen, on the other hand, are keen to continue their upward march and move away from the red zone once and for all.
Latest fixtures
22 September 2023 FC Schaffhausen - FC Sion 1-1
15 December 2023 FC Sion - FC Schaffhausen 2-1
The news
Bouchlarhem is back from suspension and will be at Didier Tholot's disposal. Itaitinga is still injured. Numa Lavanchy could be suspended if he receives a caution.
The match will be broadcast live on Rhône FM and Blue Sports.