At the Stade de la Maladière, Neuchâtel Xamax hosts Wil on Matchday 36 of the Swiss Challenge League. With just one round left in the season, all verdicts have already been issued: Thun has secured direct promotion to the Swiss Super League after finishing first, Aarau will play in the promotion playoffs against the second-to-last team from the Relegation Group, while Schaffhausen has been relegated to the third division. The two sides in this matchup have nothing left to fight for in terms of league objectives, sitting seventh and sixth respectively with 41 and 50 points. These three points, therefore, won't affect the standings significantly, but a win could potentially allow Wil—depending on results elsewhere—to climb to fourth place. Such an improvement would only amplify the regrets for a season that could have ended on a much better note. Wil’s lack of motivation was already evident in their latest outing, a 2-0 home defeat to Lausanne Ouchy. Neuchâtel Xamax, on the other hand, comes into this clash with renewed energy after securing a 3-1 win over Stade Nyonnais last Friday—their first league victory since the end of March. Repeating that success won’t be easy, though, especially against Wil, who have beaten them convincingly in every encounter this season. Regardless of the result, Braizat's men can celebrate having secured safety—an outcome that seemed far from likely given they earned just three points during November, December, and January.

Neuchâtel Xamax Recent Form and Key Stats

In their most recent match, Neuchâtel Xamax beat Stade Nyonnais 3-1, with goals from Demhasaj (brace) and Ben Seghir. The overall form remains negative, though, with the team having failed to win in their previous six games—four losses and two draws. Defensive issues continue, as they've conceded at least one goal in each of their last four fixtures.

So far, Xamax have picked up 41 points from 12 wins, 5 draws, and 18 defeats, averaging 1.57 goals scored and 1.77 conceded per game. At home, they are coming off two consecutive losses—2-0 against Thun and 2-1 versus Etoile Carouge. Their last away win came on March 31, a 6-2 demolition of Schaffhausen. The team’s top scorer this season is Kosovar striker Shkelqim Demhasaj, with 14 goals.

Wil Recent Form and Key Stats

Wil’s 2-0 loss to Lausanne Ouchy (Warren Caddy with a brace) ended a three-match unbeaten run that included two wins and one draw. Hämmerli’s side has conceded in each of their last six matches and allowed seven goals against Thun on April 21. They've also gone behind in four of their last five games.

Wil have accumulated 50 points from 13 wins, 11 draws, and 11 defeats, with an identical average of 1.57 goals scored and 1.77 conceded per game. Away from home, they’ve been strong recently, winning four of their last five matches (against Bellinzona, Schaffhausen, Stade Nyonnais, and Aarau), losing only to league leaders Thun.

Neuchâtel Xamax vs Wil Prediction and Tactical Overview

Neuchâtel Xamax and Wil have already faced each other three times this season, with Hämmerli’s team coming out on top each time: 4-0, 4-1, and 2-0. These fixtures tend to be high-scoring—four of the last six head-to-head clashes have seen over 2.5 goals.

With both teams under no real pressure, we can expect another open game with chances at both ends. Xamax have both scored and conceded in eight of their last ten games, while five of Wil’s last six fixtures ended with more than two goals.

Defensively, both sides have shown weaknesses: Xamax have conceded in four straight matches, and Wil haven't kept a clean sheet in their last six.

For all these reasons, the Neuchâtel Xamax vs Wil prediction, based on the BetMines algorithm, leans towards a match with over 2.5 total goals.

• Neuchâtel Xamax vs Wil prediction from the BetMines algorithm predicts a match with Over 2.5 goals at 60%.
  
  
• Neuchâtel Xamax vs Wil prediction from the BetMines Algorithm predicts a match with Under 2.5 goals at 40%.

Predicted Lineups Neuchâtel Xamax vs Wil

NEUCHÂTEL XAMAX (4-4-2): Mossi; Cabral, Epitaux, Sidibe, Goncalves; Ben Seghir, Fatkic, Saiz, Mulaj; Hautier, Demhasaj. Coach: Anthony Braizat

WIL (4-3-1-2): Muslija; Schreiber, Jacovic, Crnovrsanin, Guzzo; Staubli, Neziri, Ndau; Maier; Abazi, Akinola.
Coach: Marco Hämmerli