Europa League – Belief in a second miracle in Bern

The Young Boys will receive Ajax Amsterdam on Thursday (9 p.m., Wankdorf) for the second leg of the Europa League round of 16. For the Swiss champions, this will be “Mission Impossible”.

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It will be a Herculean task – if YB still wants to reach the quarter-finals of the Europa League. The second and especially the third goal conceded in the first leg are a big mortgage for yellow-black. The opponent from Amsterdam was too strong and too serene. Coach Gerardo Seoane said immediately after the game: “That was a lesson for us.”

Did the Swiss draw the necessary conclusions from the defeat in the first leg (0-3)? One can be curious. In any case, coach Seoane has a clear plan: “We want to defend the opponent more offensively.” It is also important to set accents on the offensive. In Holland, the Bernese had great difficulty creating a goal threat.

Close at the back and efficient at the front

The first half against Leverkusen gives the YB fans hope. Back then, the Bernese gave the Bundesliga club three goals in the first half. So why, shouldn’t this also be possible against Ajax over 90 minutes? But the YB trainer is careful to take it step by step. “We know it’s a big mortgage. It makes no sense for us to think of a 3-0 or a 4-0. “

“The task of scoring three goals against Ajax and keeping the zero is difficult.”

Goalie Guillaume Faivre said after his appearance in Amsterdam: “It takes a miracle in the second leg.” Whether there will be a second miracle from Bern and the Young Boys end up in the lottery pot in Nyon on Friday also depends on him. Regular goalkeeper David von Ballmoos is still not available to the Berners after his concussion. He is not yet at 100 percent, said the trainer. If the Young Boys want to keep the chance of advancing, Faivre cannot afford a goal. Seoane’s team has to play to zero, otherwise the Europa League lights go out in Wankdorf and the European adventure is over.

In the championship you have outrun the competition, the championship title is only a matter of time and whether the cup will be played to the end of this season is in the stars. The thrust is clear. YB can whack anything. You can’t lose anything, but you can gain a lot. Even if it shouldn’t be enough in the end, the Bernese are at least about to make a good final impression in the Europa League campaign.