BSC Young Boys opened the new Super League season with a frantic 4-2 victory over FC Sion at Stadion Wankdorf on Sunday, July 26, 2026. Samuel Essende scored twice in the second half to rescue the hosts after a two-goal lead vanished in front of 26’572 spectators.
The Bern club entered the new campaign aiming to bounce back from a disappointing previous season, and early on, everything pointed toward a comfortable afternoon. The side dominated the opening 45 minutes, winning nearly two-thirds of their duels and neutralizing the visitors through aggressive pressing and quick transitions.
First-Half Flurry and Defensive Fragility at Wankdorf
The breakthrough arrived in the 22nd minute when Lewin Blum headed home following an early corner kick to open the scoring. Alvyn Sanches then doubled the advantage just before the interval, finishing off a sharp individual run in the 40th minute.
Yet the defensive vulnerabilities that plagued Bern during the prior campaign resurfaced right before the break. Jan Kronig struck from roughly 30 meters out in first-half stoppage time, catching the defense unawares. Moments later, Baltazar Costa rattled the crossbar with a header, signaling that Sion had found a foothold just as the whistle blew for halftime.
Winsley Boteli Sparks Sion Comeback Before Essende Rescues YB
Sion made a triple substitution at the break, and the tactical shift paid immediate dividends. Substitute Winsley Boteli took control of the visitor’s attack, giving returning YB central defender Cédric Zesiger persistent trouble throughout the second stanza. Boteli capped his energetic display by equalizing for the visitors in the 56th minute after latching onto a setup from teammate Surdez.
Faced with a complete collapse of their two-goal cushion, the hosts responded through Samuel Essende. The forward restored the lead in the 66th minute by heading in a corner delivered by Kastriot Imeri. Seven minutes later, Essende sealed the three points by converting a penalty kick that Joël Monteiro had earned in the area.
Match Statistics and Lineups in Bern
The match was officiated by referee Anojen Kanagasingam before 26’572 fans at Stadion Wankdorf. Both sides utilized their squads heavily to manage the early-season physical demands, particularly given Sion’s recent demanding European trip to Azerbaijan.
| Team | Starting Lineup & Key Figures | Goals Scored |
|---|---|---|
| BSC Young Boys | Mall; Bukinac (57. Hadjam), Lauper, Zesiger, Blum (77. Schmidt); Virginius (25. Imeri), Gigovic (57. Pech), Fernandes, Monteiro (77. Benito); Sanches; Essende | Blum (22′), Sanches (40′), Essende (66′, 73′ pen) |
| FC Sion | Racioppi; Lavanchy, Sow, Kronig, Hefti; Chipperfield (46. Sylla), Kabacalman (75. Rrudhani), Baltazar Costa, Chouaref (74. Nivokazi); Berdayes (46. Surdez), Lukembila (46. Boteli) | Kronig (45’+1), Boteli (56′) |
The victory provides Young Boys with an early morale boost and three critical points. Despite stretches of defensive passivity that allowed Sion back into the contest, the team demonstrated the mental resilience often missing during last season’s struggles, surviving a high-scoring thriller to kick off the Super League campaign on a winning note.