Champions FC Basle signalled their intentions to hang on to their crown with a crushing 7-1 home victory over newly-promoted FC Wil 1900.

Christian Gimenez put the Champions League contestants ahead in the eight minute but the visitors rallied only a minute later to equalise through De Souza Fabinho's penalty.

That was the last goal action FC Wil saw however as the hosts ran riot.

Mario Cantaluppi celebrated his recent call-up to the Switzerland national team call by putting Basle 2-1 up after 15 minutes and Gimenez got his second of the night 17 minutes later.

Basle cruised through the second half, adding goals from Sebastien Barberis (50), Dario Hernan Rossi (69, 71) and Murat Yakin (81).

The win puts Basle in second spot, six points behind current league leaders Grasshopper Zurich, who clinched a thrilling 3-2 victory at St.Gallen.

St Gallen looked firmly on top by the 50th minute after a penalty from Ionel Gane gave them a 2-0 lead following Alves Neto Guido's first half strike.

But it took Grasshoper just nine minutes to turn things their way.

Mate Baturina pulled a goal back in the 61st minute, then a strike from Antonio Barijho just a minute and Alexandar Mitreski's 69th-minute goal turned the game on its head.

Young Boys and Berne moved into fourth in the table after recording a 4-2 home win against Servette, while Neuchatel Xamax are sixth - their highest place so far this season - spot after a one-goal victory over FC Lucerne came courtesy of Leandro Fonseca's goal.

Zurich defeated Delemont 1-0 thanks to a Alhassane Keita goal in the other match played tonight.