Bird bets high – and starts flying high

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The numbers are impressive: Zeki Amdouni has scored eight goals in ten games since the start of the year and provided two assists. Which coach voluntarily relinquishes his man of the hour?

The answer: Heiko Vogel. Although the away game in Lucerne is of vital importance for the further course of the season, the FC Basel interim coach ordered his number 9 on the bench – and left it there until the end. After the 1-0 win, Vogel says: “Zeki was rested for Thursday’s game against Bratislava.”

If that had gone wrong, Vogel would have fallen to his feet if he had done without his most dangerous attacking man at the moment. But that’s how hot poker works. And that, although Amdouni’s immediate replacement Bradley Fink turned out, remains in his home country of central Switzerland.

Instead of Fink, it is another ex-Lucerner who pulls the strings in Basel’s offensive play: Darian Males. And he doesn’t come from bad parents either – in fact, although he missed a few games at the start of the year due to a muscle injury, Males is still FCB’s top internal scorer.

Since his recovery, Males has picked up where he left off last year. A week ago in Lugano, he was the face of the comeback from 0: 2 to 2: 2 with a goal and an assist. In Lucerne, after half an hour of error in the Lucerne build-up game, he quickly put the ball through to Zeqiri, who had a foul by FCL goalie Pascal Loretz. Since the penalty kick converted by Fabian Frei was the only goal of the game, Basel won twice in a row for the first time under Vogel (previously 2-1 in the cup in St. Gallen). The last time red-blue did this was at the beginning of October.

Lucerne’s punishment trauma

Speaking of penalties: FCB opponents Luzern are currently going through a crazy penalty trauma. Since Pascal Loretz replaced the injured Marius Müller, the Central Swiss have conceded five goals. All from the point. This also remains the case against Basel because the VAR reverses Hugo Novoa’s alleged 2-0 lead in extra time due to an earlier foul play.

Back to FC Basel, whose run under Heiko Vogel is slowly but surely rising. The intended 2nd place is within reach again after the 1-0 victory in Lucerne. Vogel after the game: “I can’t bow low enough for my team. After an intense week we were ready against a strong opponent.”

There was one downside from FCB’s point of view: after 54 minutes, Fabian Frei had to leave with back pain. It is not clear how long the captain will be out. A lack of Freis would put a big damper on the next tasks. Nevertheless: In the current state, red-blue can calculate legitimate chances to advance, both in the Conference League round of 16 against Bratislava and in the cup semi-finals at home against YB in Joggeli at the beginning of April.

Both times with Heiko Vogel on the sidelines? There are no indications that the sports director will soon “resign” as interim coach and present a new head coach. Vogel said he would be coach again against Bratislava. And then? If there is another victory against the Slovaks, Vogel’s dual role will soon come to an increasingly unlikely end. At least until the international break at the end of March.

Source : Blick