Young Boys fell to their first defeat of the season as they lost 3-0 at Neuchatel Xamax in a bad-tempered match in which both teams were reduced to ten men.

Mario Gavranovic gave the hosts the lead on the half-hour mark and Ideye Brown doubled their advantage in the 77th minute. Any hope Young Boys had of getting something from the game evaporated seconds later when Saif Ghezal was sent off.

Brown got his second of the game two minutes from time, but was sent off moments later. Neuchatel Xamax move into third spot, a point behind Lucerne and seven behind Young Boys, who had won seven of their previous eight matches before today.

Lucerne almost did not make the most of their rivals' slip-up as they left it late before seeing off rock-bottom Aarau 4-2. Nelson Ferreira and Joao Pedro Paiva gave the visitors a comfortable lead, but Sandro Burki pulled one back for Aarau on the stroke of half-time and Aco Stojkov levelled matters from the spot in the 77th minute.

Ferreira grabbed his second of the match three minutes from time before Cristian Florin Ianu sealed the result in stoppage time.

Bellinzona are only a point above Aarau after a dramatic finale in which they lost 3-2 to Basle. Benjamin Huggel and Valentin Stocker had given Basle the lead at half-time, but Alessandro Ciarrocchi's goal and Yacine Hima's 85th-minute equaliser seemed to have snatched a valuable point for the hosts.

However, Alessandro Mangiarratti was red-carded in the final minute and Huggel scored the winner from the ensuing penalty.