FC Winterthur head into Saturday's friendly against FC Basel 1893 on a strong run of form. The team has won four of its last five competitive matches and currently sits second in the Challenge League with 18 points from nine games.
Patrick Rahmen's side has been unbeaten since September 1st. The most recent victory was a 4-1 away win at Seuzach this past Wednesday. Prior to that came home wins against FC Aarau (2-1) and Neuchatel Xamax FC (4-0), plus a narrow away victory at Étoile Carouge (1-0). The most recent head-to-head meeting with Basel ended in a 2-2 draw back in July.
The current form provides optimism for the tasks ahead. Following the friendly, the return league fixture away at sixth-placed Neuchatel Xamax FC awaits on October 9th.
Basel arrives with mixed results from the Super League. Their last five matches include a defeat to St. Gallen (1-3), a win in Luzern (4-2), and three further setbacks. For Winterthur, the friendly is a good opportunity to test tactical variations ahead of the important away league fixture. The team has already scored 19 goals this season and has one of the league's most effective attacks with a +11 goal difference.
