The Young Boys beat FC Zurich 3-2 in Zurich – the wild game lives up to its branding as a crisis summit

In stoppage time, substitute FC Zurich striker Juan José Perea had the opportunity to level the score at 3-3 with a penalty kick against YB. His shot flew well over the goal. And that was fitting for a wild, highly entertaining encounter that fully lived up to its branding as a football crisis summit.

For long stretches, YB displayed surprisingly little defensive stability, structure in their build-up play, or composure in possession – and FC Zurich even less so. Many balls flew aimlessly through the air, often very high and very far, with the best wishes for the unfortunate recipient (if there was one). Nevertheless, the error rate ensured plenty of action, with slapstick-like coincidences dominating the proceedings, back and forth, back and forth.

FC Zurich changed coaches again last week, with Dennis Hediger now officially in charge of the team – ad interim. The quiet Dutchman Mitchell van der Gaag had lost a power struggle he couldn't win. He questioned captain Yanick Brecher – and didn't want to let sporting director Milos Malenovic dictate everything to him.

At FC Zurich, Malenovic's enormous influence on lineups and hiring is explicitly desired and defended by president Ancillo Canepa. He says that FC Zurich is on the right track and that Malenovic is an absolute expert in all areas, like the legendary Bayern Munich manager Uli Hoeness . One hundred percent. Everything else is fake news and "bullshit," as Canepa calls reports that paint a picture that suggests not everything is necessarily going as planned at FC Zurich.

Canepa's words are grand, beautiful, fairytale-like. "Anyone who can't keep up with the pace is out of place," he also said. The changes at FC Zurich are indeed progressing at a dizzying pace. What the fans think of all this unrest and chaotic development was documented at the home game against YB. A banner was seen in the south stand: "The coach is gone – no problem!"

Dennis Hediger coached very actively in his first game as head coach. The former assistant gave the impression that he was more than happy to be playing along, at one point standing far outside his coaching zone to give instructions – his physical presence had already distinguished him as a footballer. After the defeat against YB, Hediger said FC Zurich had to defend with their lives. That sounded a lot like Bo Henriksen, one of his many predecessors in recent years, who had demanded in Zurich that players be prepared to die for each other on the pitch.

FC Zurich is alive, their energy was palpable on Sunday, but their play was lacking. Young Boys were significantly better in the first half; they should have been leading 2-0 or even 3-0, even if they were approaching their opponent's level after the early opener.

And so FC Zurich led 2-1 at halftime – and didn't even know how they deserved so much luck. Striker Philippe Keny scored twice, ruthlessly exposing Young Boys' defensive deficiencies. Central defender Tanguy Zoukrou, with his risky maneuvers, highlighted his team's lack of style, but Jaouen Hadjam even more so. The Algerian left-back excels in attack on his good days, but his nonchalance regularly gets in his way. A heel trick here, like before FC Zurich's second goal, a dribble in his own penalty area there, an inopportune pirouette there.

That's why Hadjam still plays in the Super League – and not in a top league for a long time. He's just one of many outstanding individual players at Young Boys, who are individually significantly better equipped than most of their opponents in Switzerland, but too often lack a coherent game plan. On Sunday at Letzigrund, YB turned a 1-2 deficit into a 3-2 win straight after halftime – but again failed to knock out their struggling opponents. And so a nail-biting finale began for them, in which they were almost punished with an equalizer.

Perea's missed shot from eleven meters ensured a happy ending for YB. On Thursday, Young Boys had already won 3-2 against Bulgarian club Ludogorets Razgrad in the Europa League – thanks to individual quality, despite a general lack of confidence in the defense. And because the exceptional talent Alvyn Sanches was able to play for the first time since tearing his cruciate ligament in the final minutes of the game against FC Zurich, YB are even stronger up front.

YB coach Giorgio Contini, the Zurich native in Bern, spoke of "given-away goals" in his analysis after the victory at Letzigrund – just like Dennis Hediger, the Bern native in Zurich. Contini is facing headwinds at Young Boys, and he needs more success – on Thursday at Letzigrund against GC and next Sunday in the home game against rivals FC Basel, who lost 5-1 in Lausanne on Sunday. It can happen; YB even lost 5-0 in Lausanne three weeks ago. What a wonderfully crazy league.

For FC Zurich, the next game is on Wednesday, when they face champions Basel. "We have nothing to lose," said Hediger. "And if we do what we set out to do, we will be rewarded." Hope never dies. Not even at FC Zurich.