Will the defending champions start the new season with a win?
Ludovic Magnin played 148 times in the Bundesliga for Werder Bremen and VfB Stuttgart. The full-back also made a total of 62 appearances for the Swiss national team before retiring in 2012. The 46-year-old is now taking over as head coach at FC Basel for the new season. The former professional is following in the huge footsteps of championship-winning coach Fabio Celestini, who has moved to CSKA Moscow. Magnin will travel with his team to eastern Switzerland for his debut. Wettbasis will analyze whether the defending champions will live up to expectations on the first matchday between St. Gallen and FC Basel!
It will be a difficult undertaking for the “Bebbi,” because even in the past championship season, Basel failed to achieve a full victory at Kybunpark. From the FCB’s point of view, their last away win at FCSG was almost four years ago. Admittedly, the omens for a Red and Blue away win in the St. Gallen vs. FC Basel clash have rarely been better than they are at the moment.
St. Gallen – Statistics & current form
FC St. Gallen narrowly missed its season target last season. After 33 matchdays, they were just one point short of qualifying for the championship round as one of the six teams in the Super League. In the end, they finished eighth, their worst placing in years. No wonder that the work of German coach Enrico Maaßen and sporting director Roger Stilz is now being viewed much more critically in eastern Switzerland. If the start of the season goes wrong, there could be an early reshuffle…
Given the tough start to the season with matches against Basel and Servette Geneva on the first two matchdays, there is a good chance that things will quickly become turbulent in the green and white paradise. This is especially true given that the club was as indecisive in the transfer market as the team was for much of last season.
Is the season starting too early for FC St. Gallen?
With Daschner, Boukhalfa, and Tom Gaal, the club has at least signed three players from Germany who should be able to help immediately. However, the question of the future of top striker Willem Geubbels hangs over the club like a sword of Damocles. The 23-year-old looks set to leave, and there is no replacement of comparable quality in sight. In my opinion, these unresolved personnel issues will also influence the St. Gallen vs. FC Basel prediction on Saturday evening.
To make matters worse, preparations have not necessarily gone according to plan so far. The 2-2 draw against Villarreal in the dress rehearsal was encouraging, but that was preceded by defeats against German second division sides Darmstadt 98 and Schalke 04. The team also conceded four goals in a 4-4 draw against amateurs SC Brühl St. Gallen.
Despite their home strength, which was reflected in only two defeats at Kybunpark in the 2024/25 regular season, I am therefore skeptical that FCSG can stand up to the reigning champions. Risk-taking bettors who share this assessment can cash in on betting odds of 3.15 for a combination of an away win and both teams scoring in the Betano app before the match between St. Gallen and FC Basel.
FC Basel – Statistics & current form
FC Basel has had a great season. After an eight-year dry spell, the “Bebbi” not only secured the championship for the first time, but also won the double with a confident victory in the cup final against underdogs Biel-Bienne. The fans were understandably saddened when successful coach Fabio Celestini announced his departure from the club. However, the coach drew the ire of many fans when he chose to move to CSKA Moscow in Russia.
His successor is Ludovic Magnin, who was already introduced in the introduction. He has not inherited an easy task and is already facing challenges early in the season. Before the important qualifying matches in the UEFA Champions League, the former Bundesliga player is hoping for a good start to the league.
Basel’s offense is the benchmark in the Super League
In the test matches so far, there has also been some sand in the gears at FCB. Only one of five games has been won. Nevertheless, the offense has already been working exceptionally well again. This was also underlined by the recent 3-3 draw against Villarreal. Those who would rather not place a three-way bet and prefer to bet on the number of goals instead will find good odds at Merkur Bets for the game between St. Gallen and FC Basel. Three or more goals in the game will bring a maximum odds of 1.66.
Despite their inconsistent performances in the preseason, it is important to remember that the “Bebbi” were the strongest away team in the Super League in 2024/25, scoring an impressive 38 goals in 16 games on the road. Apart from that, the Red and Blues are in a different league to their upcoming opponents from eastern Switzerland. Xherdan Shaqiri alone can make the difference in any league game. Their continued remarkable self-confidence is another indication that I don’t believe the double winners will lose their opening game.
St. Gallen – FC Basel Head-to-head record / H2H record
The Kybunpark in St. Gallen has been a real fortress for the Espen in recent years. The Green-Whites have regularly put in strong performances against FC Basel. Last season, both of FCSG’s home games against the Rotblau ended in draws (2-2, 1-1). In total, Basel have not won any of their last six away games in eastern Switzerland (0-4-2). In general, the last away win in this fixture dates back to 2021. After four years, Saturday could be the day.
St. Gallen – FC Basel Tip
Basically, FC St. Gallen is one of the strongest home teams in the Swiss top flight. However, ahead of the start of the new Super League season, there are various question marks that make it extremely difficult to accurately assess the Espen’s current performance capabilities. The work of the sporting management is being critically scrutinized after a disappointing 24/25 season, top scorer Geubbels is on the verge of leaving, and poor results in friendly matches, including two defeats against German second division teams, are not exactly causing euphoria.
In addition, FC Basel, the reigning double winner, is coming into the game. Although they also made a few changes in the summer, including a change of coach, they are still considered to be the stronger team. Despite the four-year dry spell since their last away win at FCSG, I am optimistic that Rotblau will come away with something tangible this weekend. I therefore recommend betting on the double chance X2 with at least one goal in both halves before the match between St. Gallen and FC Basel. The combined odds of 2.15 are worth a stake of four units to me.
