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FC Zurich will welcome city rivals Grasshopper to the Letzigrund Stadion for a matchday 28 fixture in the Swiss Super League on Saturday.
The home side come into the game on the back of a morale-boosting 2-1 away win over defending champions Young Boys before the international break. All three goals came in the final 16 minutes, with Vincent Sierro scoring an injury-time consolation goal for the hosts.
Grasshopper suffered a 4-2 defeat to Basel on home turf. Adam Szalai scored a second-half brace to help his side secure maximum points in the six-goal thriller.
Zurich's victory saw them extend their lead at the summit to 12 points, having garnered 62 points from 27 matches. Grasshopper sit in eighth place on 27 points.
FC Zurich vs Grasshopper Head-to-Head
There have been 251 editions of the Zurich derby in the past and Grasshopper have been superior with 121 wins to their name. FC Zurich were victorious on 90 occasions, while 31 matches ended in a share of the spoils.
Their most recent meeting came in February when a second-half fightback saw Zurich claim a 3-1 comeback victory.
FC Zurich form guide: W-L-W-W-W
Grasshopper form guide: L-L-L-L-L
FC Zurich vs Grasshopper Team News
FC Zurich
Bledian Krasniqi and Akaki Gogia have been ruled out with injuries, while Moritz Leitner tested positive for COVID-19. Mirlind Kryeziu is suspended due to accumulated yellow cards.
Injuries: Bledian Krasniqi, Akaki Gogia
Suspension: Mirlind Kryeziu
Unavailable: Moritz Leitner
Grasshopper
Petar Pusic and Tomas Ribeiro have been ruled out with fitness issues, while Leo Bonatini is a doubt for the game.
Injuries: Petar Pusic, Tomas Ribeiro
Suspension: None
Doubtful: Leo Bonatini
FC Zurich vs Grasshopper Predicted XI
FC Zurich Predicted XI (3-1-4-2): Yanick Brecher (GK); Fidan Aliti, Karol Mets, Becir Omeragic; Ousmane Doumbia; Adrian Guerrero, Antonio Marchesano, Blerim Dzemaili, Nikola Boranijasevic; Assan Ceesay, Tosin Aiyegun
Grasshopper Predicted XI (3-4-3): Andre Moreira (GK); Noah Loosli, Georg Margreitter, Ayumu Seko; Dominik Schmid, Christian Herc, Bruno Jordao, Nadjack; Hayao Kawabe, Francis Momoh, Mamadou Sene
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FC Zurich vs Grasshopper Prediction
FC Zurich have been rampant in their quest for a first league title since 2009 and their victory over Young Boys would have boosted confidence in the squad.
Grasshopper, for their part, might be the record Swiss champions, but they have struggled to match the higher standards since their return to the top-flight. Despite this being a city derby, the visitors are unlikely to pose much of a threat and we are backing FC Zurich to claim a comfortable victory.
Prediction: FC Zurich 2-0 Grasshopper
