Crusaders boss Stephen Baxter has revealed how a club playing in the Swiss second tier last season helped inspire Thursday’s “fabulous” performance against Basel in the Europa Conference League.
Basel, who were reduced to 10 men when Taulant Xhaka was red carded on the half hour mark, secured a 2-0 win in the second qualifying round tie at St Jakob Park stadium.
But despite the first leg defeat Baxter hailed his players’ courage and discipline in limiting the Swiss Super League giants who were Europa League quarter-finalists two years ago.
Read more: You won't see a better free-kick than this stunner at the Foyle Cup
And he revealed that a lengthy analysis of Basel’s 1-1 draw with little-known Winterthur on Saturday helped him prepare for the task to come.
Winterthur, who are based in Zurich, won the Swiss Challenge League on goal difference in May, earning promotion to the top tier for the first time since 1982.
“We watched their home game on Saturday (against Winterthur),” said Baxter. “We watched the team they played and how they set up. We actually tried to mirror that.
“I thought the discipline of that team not chasing the ball was the key to this match from our point of view. We didn’t go hunting for the ball over the halfway line, otherwise they would have just sucked us out and passed it around us all night.
“We denied them space, didn’t let them in behind us and we were comfortable with all of that. We set up so well and were so tight and stayed together as a team. They did it to a man and I’m so proud of the players.”
Despite going down to 10 men, Basel dominated large periods of the game and were ahead when former Nice winger Dan Ndoye rifled home in the 38th minute.
It was 2-0 when Hungary skipper Adam Szalai, who starred in a 1-0 win over Northern Ireland in Belfast in March, flicked home at the near post three minutes into the second half.
“We could have folded after conceding a second goal and we didn’t,” Baxter told Crusaders Facebook.
“Our boys were out on their feet in 30 degree heat but they stuck to their task. 2-0 straight after half-time could have turned into three, four, five, six, but they worked tirelessly.
“We’re actually a hair disappointed that we lost 2-0 because the two goals were avoidable in many ways, but take nothing away from this team.
“They’ve given us a chasing around this pitch but we stayed with them every inch of the way and in the last 10 minutes we created a couple of brilliant chances of our own.
“Johnny McMurray got a header away and he might have scored, so that’s a positive for us. But overall the team’s discipline, their shape and effort and hunger and pride they played with in front of an unbelievable noise was magnificent.”
Basel will be firm favourites to progress to the third qualifying round although Baxter is eager to “throw the kitchen sink at them” in Thursday’s return leg at Seaview.
“We’ll go to Seaview and we’ll have nothing to lose,” he said. “We’ll give them a Seaview welcome, we’ll put it up to them and see what they’ve got.”
READ NEXT:
- Ex-Northern Ireland Under 21 defender seals move to Bolton Wanderers
- ' What the hell is he doing...' - Healy's comical reaction to Millar heroics
- SuperCupNI 2022 fixtures, venues and kick-off times
- Rangers teen Charlie Lindsay nets top player award at Plzen Tournament
Sign up to our free sports newsletter to get the latest headlines to your inbox.
