Football – Beleck qualifies Yverdon at the end of the suspense

President Mario Di Pietrantonio had dreamed of it, Yverdon did it. Six months after obtaining this much-awaited promotion in the Challenge League, the Nord-Vaudois made even stronger, Tuesday evening, in a finally well-stocked municipal stadium. After an unbearable suspense lasting nearly three hours, Yverdon Sport has indeed managed to kick out of the Swiss Cup one of the three best teams in the Super League.

Faced with FC Zurich who lined up most of its holders despite the prospect of facing FC Basel on Saturday in a real match at the top of the league, the Yverdonnois Uli Forte won after an endless penalty shootout. , finally won 11-10 thanks to a last victorious penalty from Ninte. A victory which allows the Nord-Vaudois to qualify for the quarter-finals of the Swiss Cup.

A qualification all the more deserved as the Nord-Vaudois not only made a level playing field with the third in the Super League but also by leading the race for a very long time. They initially believed that the hardest part was done well before extra time, when Beleck, well served in depth by Vladi, deceived Kostadinovic just before half-time. An advantage that the newly promoted Challenge League then retained without suffering too much until the Pollero-Gnonto duo invented a magnificent equalizer (71st). A glimmer in an offensive desert since the Zurich residents had only rarely managed to worry Salvi until then.

Stunned but not down, Yverdon then managed to regain the advantage in the first minutes of extra time. TO again thanks to Beleck (94th), perfectly served by Ninte. However, Hornschuh replied shortly thereafter. The chances then multiplied – especially in favor of the Yverdonnois who missed two huge opportunities by Eleouet before seeing a hot ball in the opposing five meters being cleared in extremis by a Zurich defender. A verdict that ultimately fell on the 24th shot on goal, when Ninte, who had missed his first penalty, propelled his team to the quarter-finals. A well-deserved success for an outsider who played with calm and intelligence against FC Zurich who greatly disappointed his some 200 supporters who had made the trip to Yverdon.