Preview: Grasshopper Zurich vs Luzern - prediction, team news, lineups

Grasshopper Zurich will be looking to kick off the new Swiss Super League season on a high when they take on Luzern at Letzigrund this Saturday.

The Hoppers were forced to defend their top tier status in a relegation play off last season, while Die Leuchten endured a rather forgettable campaign that saw them finish in sixth place.

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Match preview

Grasshopper are the most decorated team in Swiss football with 27 league titles and 19 Swiss Cups to their name, but it is fair to say that the club are a long distance away from being the powerhouse they once were.

For the last two seasons, the club has flirted with relegation and had to overcome the dreaded relegation play off, beating FC Aarau over two legs last May.

Grasshopper have brought in Austrian manager Gerald Scheiblehner to try and bring some stability to the club, though with the squad still looking rather bleak, the 48-year-old seemingly faces a tough challenge.

The Hoppers ended last season on a high with that all-important win in their relegation play off, but they will now be looking to start their new campaign with a win as they take on a Luzern side whom they thumped 3-1 at home last April.

Speaking of Die Leuchten, their supporters are itching for some sort of excitement following a string of average campaigns in the Swiss Super League.

It has been a while since Luzern came close to a title challenge, and it is five years since they last lifted the Swiss Cup, leaving the fans with little to shout about.

Mario Frick, who has been at the helm since December 2021, was left rather disappointed as his side finished one point shy of a place that would guarantee Europa Conference League qualifying football.

However, with the lack of continental distractions, Luzern will be looking to make an impact on the domestic scene and perhaps challenge some of the Swiss Super League heavyweights.

Grasshopper Zurich pre-season form:

D W L 

Luzern pre-season form:

W D L L W

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Team News

Grasshopper head into Saturday’s season opener without Leart Kabashi, who is out injured with a metatarsal fracture.

Nikolas Muci is expected to lead the attack after playing the full 90 minutes against West Ham United in a pre-season friendly.

Luzern, meanwhile, enter the weekend without Jesper Lofgren, Ismajl Beka and Lars Villiger, who are all ruled out with injuries.

New loan signing Julian VonMoos is likely to make his first competitive start for Luzern after joining from Servette.

Grasshopper Zurich possible starting lineup: Hammel; Persson, Seko, Meyer, Abels; Kawabe, Morandi, Pusic; Muci, Dadashov, Bonatini

Luzern possible starting lineup: Loretz; Freimann, Knezevic, Beka, Dorn; Meyer, Jashari, Beloko; Von Moos, Klidje, Grbic

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We say: Grasshopper Zurich 1-2 Luzern

Grasshopper are determined to have a better season, but with a big turnaround in personnel, it may be some time before we see the best of them.

Luzern, on the other hand, boast a lot of quality in their squad, and we expect them to kick off the new campaign with a big away victory.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.

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