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Nigerian winger Philip Otele bagged a brace and Xherdan Shaqiri dazzled with a goal and three assists as FC Basel stormed to a commanding 5-0 victory over Yverdon-Sport to tighten their hold on the Swiss Super League title race, Footynaija.com reports.
Otele opened the scoring in the 17th minute, converting a neat pass from Metinho with a composed finish inside the box. It marked the start of a rampant first-half performance at St. Jakob-Park, as the hosts raced to a 4-0 lead by half-time.
Shaqiri doubled the lead ten minutes later with his 14th goal of the season, before Bénie Traoré struck twice in quick succession, netting in the 30th and 37th minutes as Basel overwhelmed their opponents with relentless attacking football.
The second half saw more of the same. Shaqiri, playing in inspired form, provided a sublime backheel assist for Otele’s second – the Nigerian curling in a fine strike into the top corner in the 56th minute to cap the scoring. Otele has now scored eight league goals this season.
FINALLLLL
— FC Baselinfo (@Baselinfo2) April 21, 2025
FC Basel 5 Philip Otele (17 y 56) , Xherdan Shaqiri (27) y Benie Traore ( 30 y 37)
Yverdon Sports 0 pic.twitter.com/pBeOgJZhx0
Former Liverpool winger Shaqiri, who returned to Basel last summer, has now contributed 31 goals in 29 games across all competitions. His influence was undeniable once again, earning a standing ovation when he was substituted late on.
The result is Basel’s fifth consecutive league win – a feat the club hasn’t achieved in over seven years. It also means they head into the final championship round of fixtures six points clear of nearest challengers Servette, with five matches remaining and a superior goal difference of +40.
Fabio Celestini’s side are in scintillating form, having amassed 21 more points than at the same stage last season – the biggest year-on-year improvement in Swiss Super League history. On this evidence, the title is Basel’s to lose.
