Basel played host to St. Gallen in the National League A on Wednesday evening, and the game ended 32:27 after a hard-fought contest. The visitors came into the match sitting fifth in the table with six points from five games, while the hosts languished in ninth place on just two points. By then, Basel had already shown they were not going to roll over — four draws from their opening five matches told you that much.
The scoring was relentless from both sides, and here's the thing about these Swiss fixtures: they rarely settle into a rhythm. St. Gallen had come through their last five with three wins and two draws, but Basel's home record of drawing four times in a row meant they knew how to grind out results. The final margin was five goals, which in handball terms is barely a gap at all.
We had backed the visitors at 54 per cent confidence before kickoff, but the match went another way. It wasn't a collapse — St. Gallen simply couldn't pull away when it mattered. Basel held their shape and found enough moments to keep the scoreboard moving in their favour.
To be fair, this was never going to be a one-sided affair. Basel's recent form included a 23:22 win over Züri-Aarau and a 28:30 loss to Bern, so they were capable of both brilliance and collapse. What mattered tonight was consistency, and they managed it for long enough to secure a point they needed badly.
The standings tell you something useful now. Basel remain ninth but have not lost a game all season, which means they are still in the mix. St. Gallen move up to seven points and stay in the upper half, though the gap between fifth and ninth is closing fast.
What stays with you is not the scoreline but the pattern. Basel do not travel to make up the numbers, and St. Gallen were not given to easy points on the road. That is why the draw feels right — neither side gave anything away, and by then the result was already written in the pattern of play.
