The second derby in a short period of time is coming up

Four days after a boring Super League showdown, Grasshoppers and FC Zurich will meet again in the last 16 of the Cup on Tuesday. Unlike the 1-1 draw, this time there will be a winner.

This time, the second part could hardly be worse than the first: last Saturday's Zurich derby was a spectacle in a rivalry between two clubs that will soon span 288 games. In a long period of weird atmosphere, with one group of fans initially staying out of the stadium and another group abandoning their usual support in protest, the two teams played poorly.

Speaking to SRF during half-time, GC captain Amir Abrashi found out that they were missing a man, so to speak, as a result of the police action, while FCZ head coach Ricardo Moniz (Ricardo Moniz) explained in the media conference after the game that the game is over. Determined by the “catastrophic referee”. Although the draw before the cup round of 16 was innocuous, the tone was set.

The tension on both sides is also tied to the disappointment of the past few weeks. FC Zurich have been waiting for victory in four games since the end of September. Moniz, who has high demands on his players, regrets that his FCZ failed to play a popular role in the past few games. “We often react too emotionally to setbacks. It frustrates us,” said the Dutchman, who is not known for his calm demeanor.

Moniz explains his role in each situation by having to take countermeasures. Now is the time to develop players and support the team. FCZ's downturn has not had a big impact so far, and it continues to remain at the top of the standings. However, for GC, the cup is the only way to get out of the league relegation battle.

GC reaches quarter-finals twice in ten years

GC has had at least two draws under new coach Thomas Olar, meaning the German has taken the small steps he announced in his speech. “A good coach, a football lover and a hard worker,” Moniz said of his colleague, whom he worked with at RB Leipzig in 2010.

With these two small steps, Ola can take the first big step. Cup quarter-finals are no longer a matter of course for Grasshoppers. The tournament's record winner has reached the quarterfinals only twice in the past decade. Cup scores against FCZ remain positive, with 10 of the 15 games against city rivals being GC, including the one everyone thinks of when recalling the Zurich Cup showdown: 6 after extra time in March 2004: 5 games.

Langenthal premiere

The last two remaining “amateur clubs” in the cup will face off in another round of 16 on Tuesday. The Langenthal team, which has entered the top 16 for the first time, will challenge the promotion league leader FC Bill at Langenthal's home court. (Ritz/SDA)

Mikaela Shiffrin took a big risk as she charged towards her dream goal of 100 Alpine World Cup wins. The 29-year-old American fell during the second round at his home event in Killington, Vermont, and had to be carried away on a rescue sled.