SC Kriens vs FC Vaduz

FC Vaduz began their preparations for life in the Swiss Super League with a 2-1 comeback victory over SC Kriens at Stadion Kleinfeld on Saturday evening, with substitute Marcel Monsberger scoring the winner two minutes from time.

How it unfolded

SC Kriens, back in the Challenge League after four seasons in the third tier, started brightly and took an early lead. Alejandro Willimann put the home side ahead in the 8th minute, scoring from close range after Vaduz's defence failed to clear a cross.

Kriens held that advantage into half-time, having created several further chances against a Vaduz side that struggled with inaccurate passing and frequent ball losses in the opening period. With temperatures reaching around 35°C at the Kleinfeld, two drink breaks were taken per half.

Marc Schneider changed his entire outfield XI at the break — no Vaduz player logged more than 45 minutes — and the reshuffled side looked transformed. The equaliser came in the 50th minute: Luca Celentano launched a long ball forward, Marcel Monsberger flicked on with a header, and new signing Lado Akhalaia reacted quickest to the rebound to make it 1-1.

Vaduz increasingly controlled the second half and got their reward in the 88th minute. Austrian striker Marcel Monsberger, who had already played a key role in the equaliser, scored the winner to seal a 2-1 victory.

The turning point

Schneider's decision to replace all ten outfield players at half-time. Vaduz's disjointed first-half showing gave way to a far more coherent and aggressive second-half display, with fresh legs and a different tactical shape under the extreme heat. Akhalaia's 50th-minute equaliser, just five minutes after the restart, confirmed the shift in momentum.

Key performers

• Marcel Monsberger (FC Vaduz) — assisted Akhalaia's equaliser with a clever flick-on and scored the 88th-minute winner. The Austrian centre-forward made the decisive impact in his 45-minute cameo.
• Lado Akhalaia (FC Vaduz) — the new signing's sharp finish from a rebound levelled the match and sparked Vaduz's second-half dominance.
• Alejandro Willimann (SC Kriens) — opened the scoring in the 8th minute and was a threat throughout the first half before being withdrawn at the break.

By the numbers

The 1-0 half-time lead reflected Kriens's superior first-half play — the home side pressed aggressively and forced multiple Vaduz turnovers in dangerous areas. The complete turn after the interval, however, told a different story: Vaduz created more chances in the second half and managed the game on their terms, culminating in Monsberger's late strike. The extreme heat (35°C) and the mass half-time substitutions make raw stats from this fixture unreliable as a measure of either side's true level.

What it means

Both sides used this as their first pre-season friendly of summer 2026. For FC Vaduz, newly promoted to the Swiss Super League as Challenge League champions (2025/26), the comeback win offers an early sign of depth under Marc Schneider. SC Kriens, returning to the Challenge League after winning promotion from the Promotion League, showed enough in the first half to encourage head coach Michael Winsauer, even if the result went against them.

Kriens' next pre-season fixture is an away test against FC Zürich (Super League) on Saturday 4 July 2026. Vaduz travel to Bad Wörishofen on Monday 29 June for a short training camp to continue their preparations.

Verdict

A pre-season friendly defined by two halves and extreme heat. Kriens edged the first period and deserved their lead; Vaduz's superior depth and half-time reshuffle turned the game after the break. Monsberger's late winner was a fair reflection of the second-half balance.

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SC Kriens: Salchli (Mauch 46'); Touré, Fäh, Mauricio Willimann, Bohon Diet (Tröndle 46'); Romano, Hermann, Alejandro Willimann; Siegrist (Sliskovic 46'), Riedmann, Hoxha. — FC Vaduz: Schaffran (Büchel 46'); Simani (Berisha 46'), Lang (Linsmaier 46'), Beeli (Hasler 46'), Baralija (Mack 46'); Walker (Cocic 46'), Hammerich (Dalipi 46'), Eberhard (Akhalaia 46'); Cabrera (Monsberger 46'), Sorgic (Neelakandan 20' → Sawadogo 60').