Football: Young Boys saved by his goalkeeper and a penalty

A week ago, von Ballmoos had long delayed the deadline in Rome and his team had lost “only» 3-1 thanks to him. Thursday, against Romanians much more debonair than expected, the goalkeeper often called in the Swiss group to play the sparring-partners of Sommer qualified his club almost on his own! Casually, spending the winter in the shoes of a qualifier is not easy for his club and YB owes him a lot.

Because the Bernese guardian angel has managed two world-class parades. The first, just before half-time with an arm that has judiciously dragged on the ground facing Rondon alone in front of him. In the 63rd, it was with a masterful dive on a violent shot from Camora that he saved his family. Sufficient for the qualification obtained late, but worrying all the same for the rest of the adventure, especially since the siens were not smart after the opening of Debeljuh’s score in the 84th.

The Bernese will also be able to thank the French referee M. Bastien, who got them a very generous penalty at the very end of the match. The game director ruled that goalkeeper Balgradean’s fist had hit Zesiger’s head and we will no doubt be talking about it for a long time in the Romanian gazettes. The last bulwark was expelled, Nsame transformed, Gaudino drove the point home again in the 96th and the case was in the bag.

The 10 December in Bern, obviously, it’s cold. All the more so when we water the synthetic lawn by minus two degrees. Well, the Young Boys managed to cool the atmosphere even further, seeming to have their feet in the ice early in the game. The Bernese first panicked in the first twenty seconds. A shiver ran through the Bernese bench two minutes later when Nsame held his ankle, as when von Ballmoos, already, had to intervene while a ball was sailing dangerously in its surface (9th).

The Romanian furia calmed down a bit thereafter but, despite calls from Mambimbi and Nsame’s class, the triple Swiss champions were virtually harmless. At the end of the match, while the Romanian champion was pushing with his means, they only succeeded in producing a valid counter-attack at the end of the stoppage time. Fortunately, luck, a little, the referee, not bad, and von Ballmoos, many, had made a difference before.

We will therefore only remember the qualification obtained in this group A, thanks to a draw and a success snatched against Cluj, two victories against CSKA Sofia and as many defeats against Roma. YB will not be choosy, since it will only be his third participation in the round of 16 in the modern history of the little European Cup. A feat against a big caliber in 2021 and the Bernese will then have really taken a step forward. So far, that doesn’t seem to be the case.

Young Boys – Cluj 2-1 (0-0)

Match behind closed doors. Referee: Bastien (FRA).

Buts: 84e Debeljuh 0-1. 93e Nsame (penalty) 1-1. 96e Gaudino 2-1.

Young Boys: Von Ballmoos; Hefti, Bürgy (85th Siebatcheu), Lefort, Garcia; Moumi Ngamaleu (82nd Seesiger), Aebischer, Rieder (58th Martins), Sulejmani (58th Gaudino); Mambimbi (58th Elijah), Nsame.

Cluj: Balgradean; Manea, Burca, Paulo Vinicius, Camora; Hoban; Pereira (87th Susic), Deac (92nd Sandomierski), Dokovic, Paun (74th Debeljuh); Rondon.

Notes: Young Boys without Camara (suspended), Fassnacht, Lustenberger, Sierro and Spielmann (injured). Warnings: 71st Paun. 89th Burca. Evictions: 91st Balgradean. 95th Nsame. 97th Dokovic.