Zurich and Sion meet at the Letzigrund on Friday night to kick off the new Swiss Super League season. This opening fixture brings together two sides with very different outlooks based on last season and their respective pre-season campaigns.
Zurich finished last year mid-table, showing flashes of quality but also inconsistency. At home, they picked up four wins and four draws against teams outside the top two, while creating 54.8 xG across the campaign. Their big chance count of 75 ranked them ninth in the league, reflecting a team that produces but not at an elite level.
Sion endured a much tougher time, finishing in the lower reaches of the table and particularly poor away from home. They managed just one win in 16 away games against sides outside the bottom two last season, with an xG of 44.9 and an xGA of 52.4 over the full year. Their big chance tally of 69 ranked 10th, showing even less attacking threat than Zurich.
Pre-season has followed the same pattern. Zurich won five of six friendlies and looked sharp in the process, while Sion managed only two wins from five and suffered heavy defeats along the way. Zurich also boast a positive xPTS at home compared to Sion’s very low away xPTS, reinforcing the difference in their profiles. Both teams will want a strong start, but the numbers and form point to Zurich having the advantage at home.
How the bookies view it: Hosts narrow favourites
Zurich are priced at 5/6, which implies about a 54% chance of winning, reflecting their strong home record and Sion’s struggles on the road. The draw is offered at 27/10, implying roughly a 27% chance, while Sion are slight outsiders at 31/10, equating to about a 24% chance.
Goals are expected to some extent, with over 2.5 goals at 4/5, implying a 56% chance, which aligns with about half of the recent head-to-heads producing at least three goals. Both teams to score is also favoured at 8/11, which suggests about a 58% chance, fitting with the pattern of both sides finding the net in seven of the last fifteen meetings and Sion managing to score in both of their wins over Zurich last season. The odds and their implied probabilities make Zurich rightful favourites, but the prices on goals and both teams scoring reflect the competitive and open nature of this fixture in recent years.
Head to Head: Little between the two sides
The head-to-head record between Zurich and Sion is very balanced, with Zurich holding a slight historical edge but no clear dominance in recent years. Over the past five seasons, Zurich have won seven times, Sion six, and seven meetings have ended in draws. Recent trends reflect this evenness, with each side winning two of the last four encounters. Zurich’s home wins tend to come with clean sheets, such as 1–0 and 2–0, while Sion’s victories are often narrow and usually at home, though they did manage a notable 3–0 win in Zurich in 2022.
Goals have been a regular feature of this fixture, with both teams scoring in seven of the last fifteen matches and several high-scoring games, including Zurich’s 6–2 win in 2021. Around half of the recent meetings have seen over 2.5 goals, showing that while some games have been cagey, others have opened up, especially when Sion have been forced to chase. The overall pattern suggests a competitive matchup, often decided by fine margins, with a decent chance of both teams finding the net and over 2.5 goals landing in about half of the games.
Players to watch: Kololli to strike for Sion
Benjamin Kololli is a strong bet for shots, shots on target, and goals based on his recent form and playing style. In the 2024–25 season, he started 13 games for Sion, playing 903 minutes, during which he took 33 shots with 12 on target. He registered two or more shots in eight of those 13 starts and at least one shot on target in seven of them. This shows he consistently looks for shooting opportunities and tests the goalkeeper regularly.
His ability to get into good positions in attacking areas makes him a frequent threat, especially as a winger or attacking midfielder. Last season, he scored nine goals and added three assists, proving his finishing skills. Kololli’s tendency to take multiple shots per game, combined with his accuracy and composure in front of goal, makes him a reliable option for anytime scorer markets.
Predicted line-ups
FC Zurich (4-3-3): Crusher; Kamberi, Gomez, Stork, Mendy; Palacio, Reichmuth, Krasniqi; Zuber, Emmanuel, Oko-Flex.
FC Sion (likely 4-3-3): Fayulu; Lavanchy, Hajrizi, Diouf, Ziegler; Kabacalman, Sow, Chouaref; Miranchuk, Kololli, Nivokazi.
Anything else catch the eye?
Zurich look a solid bet to start their season with a win at home against Sion, and there are good reasons to back them. Last season at the Letzigrund, they collected points steadily against everyone outside the top two, posting four wins and only one defeat in nine such matches. Against Sion specifically, they won their home meeting 1–0 and kept a clean sheet.
Sion’s away record was one of the worst in the league. They failed to score in 41% of their away fixtures and conceded nearly two goals per game on average. Their only away win against a team outside the bottom two came on the opening day of last season. Since then, they lost 12 of 16 such games, highlighting their persistent struggles on the road.
Zurich’s defensive numbers also support them here. They kept clean sheets in 24% of home games, while Sion managed just one away clean sheet all season. Even when Sion saw more of the ball in certain games, they rarely turned it into quality chances, with only 44.9 xG over the whole campaign. Zurich, in contrast, created better opportunities and converted them at a higher rate.
Finally, Zurich come into this opener with a strong pre-season, winning five of six friendlies, while Sion won just twice in five and suffered heavy defeats. With the home advantage and a much stronger underlying profile, Zurich are well placed to win this match.
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