Grasshoppers Women saw off Rapperswil-Jona 6-0 in their National League A Regular Season opener on Saturday. The result leaves the hosts top of the table after three matches, while the visitors drop further down. By then anyone watching would have known it was going to be one-sided.
M. Storni opened the scoring in the 23rd minute, giving the home side an early lead. And here's the thing — it wasn't long before I. Maddaloni doubled the advantage before half-time. She added a second of her own in the 49th minute, and the visitors had no answer. To be fair, they'd have needed something to change.
P. Bailey-Gayle made it four in the 70th minute, followed by E. Ljustina's goal in the 75th. Y. Kadriu completed the scoring with an 88th-minute strike. The home side went for the jugular and didn't stop. Rapperswil-Jona had nothing to do all evening after the break.
Grasshoppers Women sit second in the table with nine points from three wins. Rapperswil-Jona remain in sixth with four points from one win, one draw and one defeat. The gap between them is now five points. That is a difference that matters.
Both sides had come into this fixture with mixed form. Grasshoppers had beaten Aarau 5-1 in their previous outing, while Rapperswil-Jona had won 4-1 against Saint-Gallen Women. By then the contrast was already clear — one team building momentum, the other looking for consistency.