Ylyas Chouaref stamped his authority all over the Tourbillon pitch on Thursday night, winning 13 duels as FC Sion edged FC Noah 2-1 in their Conference League encounter.
The midfielder's physical dominance was central to the Swiss side's victory. He lost just six challenges across 90 minutes, a strike rate that left Noah's midfield chasing shadows for long stretches. In the air, Chouaref was equally assured, claiming six aerial contests and giving Sion a platform to work from whenever the ball went long.
Control in the middle
The 8.4 match rating tells part of the story, but it was the relentlessness of Chouaref's work that stood out. Every time Noah tried to build through the centre, he was there: closing space, winning the ball back, launching Sion forward again. His willingness to engage in every duel, whether on the deck or in the air, became the foundation for a result that might have slipped away without that level of control.
Sion now have three points on the board in Europe, and Chouaref has a marker down. Noah will remember the bruises.