European NAP: Gallons of goals forecast for Switzerland

EUROPEAN football fanatic Mark O'Haire (@MarkOHaire) heads to Switzerland on Sunday for his first best bet on the continent since lockdown.

St Gallen v Sion | Sunday 5th July 2020, 15:00

There’s an unwritten rule in football about never going back. It’s intended to guard against managers and players who wish to return to a place of success, often in their twilight years when their powers and capability may have waned elsewhere.

I’m sure some punters will feel the same way over certain wagers, such as mine on Sunday afternoon in Switzerland when I revisit the same selection in the same fixture as Super League table-toppers St Gallen welcome lowly Sion to their Kybun Park home. Yes, I’m going in again on St Gallen to win and Over 1.5 Goals at the very appealing 19/20 (Bet365) available.

Why? Well, a fortnight ago this bet was priced at 20/23 when Espen were playing away at Sion. The league leaders justified their position as market favourites with an accomplished performance and have since consolidated their place at the top of the Super League with a two-point cushion over defending champions Young Boys.

Of course, a barely believable 4-0 home reverse was accrued against bogey team FC Zurich thereafter but St Gallen have recovered with aplomb, putting Thun and Neuchatel Xamax away, notching five goals in the process. Peter Zeidler’s young guns are thrilling to follow, create sackfuls of opportunities and pocket gallons of goals along the way.

The hosts have racked up at least two goals in 19/27 (70%) of their outings and should be capable of covering the goal line themselves here. Sion have shipped twice or more in eight of their nine meetings with the breakaway top-three this term and come into the contest having tabled a solitary success since mid-September (W1-D5-L14).

Relegation-threatened Les Sedunois are also gubbed by the schedule this week, playing on Thursday night before Sunday afternoon’s encounter, far from ideal preparation for a trip to the potential Super League champions.

So should St Gallen be bigger in the same market in the same fixture as a fortnight ago when playing at home, all things considered? I don’t think so and therefore I can’t resist going back in on the same selection on Sunday.