FC ST. Gallen vs SCR Altach

FC St. Gallen opened their pre-season campaign with a 3–2 victory over Austrian Bundesliga side SCR Altach at the Sportplatz Aegeten in Widnau on Saturday, played as part of the St. Gallen Cantonal Football Association's (SGKFV) centenary celebrations.

Betim Fazliji's well-taken finish 16 minutes from time proved decisive, after Altach had twice fought back through Benedikt Zech and Yann Massombo. Lukas Görtler and Aliou Baldé scored St. Gallen's other goals in an end-to-end contest played in high temperatures.

Altach started brightly and created several clear chances inside the opening half-hour. Marko Raguz saw a shot blocked, while efforts from Shingo Nakano, Marco Greil and Dominik Eisschill were kept out by the St. Gallen defence. Mehmet Yalcin tested the Swiss goalkeeper again shortly before the half-hour mark, and Greil was denied from close range three minutes later.

Against the run of play, St. Gallen struck first in the 32nd minute. Lukas Görtler converted from a rebound after Altach goalkeeper Stojanovic had made the initial save.

Benedikt Zech levelled four minutes later, curling a shot into the corner to make it 1–1 — the defender's finish capping Altach's best spell of the half.

But St. Gallen went back in front just before half-time. Aliou Baldé found the net in the 45th minute to send the Swiss side into the break 2–1 up.

Altach made several changes at half-time, introducing Elias Scherf in goal among five second-half alterations. The visitors started the second period brightly — Yalcin dragged a shot narrowly wide within two minutes of the restart.

The deserved equaliser arrived in the 57th minute. Yann Massombo capitalised on a defensive lapse from St. Gallen and slotted past the goalkeeper to make it 2–2.

Altach's joy lasted only four minutes. Christian Witzig provided the delivery and Betim Fazliji applied the finish in the 61st minute to restore St. Gallen's lead at 3–2.

Greil and Massombo combined for a double chance in the 67th minute but could not convert. Altach coach Ognjen Zaric made a quadruple substitution on 70 minutes, introducing Nakano, de Freitas, Helbock and Thalmann. Nico Helbock came close to a third equaliser after a lay-off from Shingo Nakano, but St. Gallen held on.

Altach had momentum after Massombo's 57th-minute equaliser and looked the likelier side to push for a winner. But the response was instantaneous: St. Gallen restored their lead within four minutes through Fazliji, a goal that swung the psychological edge back to the Swiss Cup winners. Altach never truly recovered their rhythm after that.

Betim Fazliji (FC St. Gallen) — The midfielder, returning after two serious knee injuries in successive seasons, scored the decisive goal and showed sharp movement in the box. A promising sign for the campaign ahead.

Lukas Görtler (FC St. Gallen) — Opened the scoring with a poacher's finish and led the press effectively in the first hour. His experience showed in a young St. Gallen side.

Benedikt Zech (SCR Altach) — The veteran centre-back stepped forward to score Altach's first equaliser with a composed finish into the corner and was solid at the back for much of the contest.

Yann Massombo (SCR Altach) — Took his goal well to level at 2–2 and was a lively presence after coming on at half-time, though he faded as the game wore on.

The Betmana page shows goals at 32', 36', 45', 57' and 61' — a pattern that tells the story of a game swinging back and forth. The first goal (Görtler, 32') broke Altach's momentum after their bright start; Zech's immediate reply (36') showed Altach's resilience. St. Gallen's half-time lead (45') came at a crucial psychological moment. Massombo's equaliser (57') was also answered swiftly (61'), meaning three of the five goals arrived within four minutes of each other — a frenetic spell in a cagey first 30 minutes. No cards were recorded, reflecting the friendly nature of the contest.

For FC St. Gallen, this was their first pre-season run-out of summer 2026. The Swiss Cup winners and reigning Super League runners-up have another double-header next Saturday, facing Austria Lustenau and Super League promoted side FC Vaduz. They begin their league campaign on 1 August.

SCR Altach suffered their first defeat of pre-season after a 4–0 win over FC Hörbranz the previous week. They face German Bundesliga side 1. FC Heidenheim on 4 July, followed by tests against FC Vaduz (10 July), Grasshoppers Zürich (18 July) and FC Dornbirn (19 July) before their ÖFB Cup first-round tie on 24–26 July and the start of the Austrian Bundesliga season.

A useful workout for both sides on a hot afternoon. St. Gallen showed sharper finishing at key moments, while Altach can take encouragement from creating the better chances across the 90 minutes — but will need to cut out defensive lapses before competitive action begins.