Matchday 27 round-up

The scorelines:

Mondercange 0-0 UNA Strassen

F91 Dudelange 4-0 Käerjéng

Swift Hesper 5-1 Victoria Rosport

Mondorf 3-0 Wiltz

Differdange 0-2 Jeunesse Esch

Fola Esch 0-4 Progrès Niedercorn

Etzella Ettelbrück 1-1 Hostert

Union Titus Pétange 1-1 Racing Union Luxembourg

Game of the Weekend #27

BGL Ligue tables often look rather dispersed towards the business end of the season, with many middling teams usually found drifting towards the next year with little to nothing to play for in several of their last games. The significant gaps in quality between teams means there are always outstanders in both directions and all the important positions to play for are narrowed down to a race between a handful of teams.

In these times, it might sometimes prove hard to find fixtures with any real relevance for both clubs involved, but this week certainly wasn't one of those occasions. As the two last placed teams, Etzella Ettelbrück and Hostert faced each other, they were presented the chance to move away from the automatic relegation places and within one point of safety with a win, at the detriment of their rivals.

On Sunday afternoon at the Deich, the youngest manager in the division (29-year old Bruno Alves) led his team out against one of the oldest and most experienced head coaches on the other side (Henri Bossi, 65). The gap in their teams' fortunes hadn't been nearly as big, though: both clubs stood well below a point per game, in a perilous situation and serious relegation concerns were it not for the struggles of some other teams right above them on the table.

Etzella also had the leakiest defence before the game, having conceded 65 times in 26 outings, while Hostert's 17 goals scored over the season were another negative record at the other end of the pitch. With that in mind, this match was never going to be about the breathtaking quality on show, but more about the battle that is required for survival.

In a match dotted with painful individual technical errors preventing the teams from carrying out anything close to a well-devised attacking plan, it was Etzella who had more confidence going forward. Having already beaten Hostert in the autumn, it looked like it was a matter of time until they break the deadlock right from the first minutes. Hostert didn't manage a shot on target until after the half-hour mark, whereas their goalkeeper Sebastian Grub was forced to perform a number of saves.

The scoring was finally opened in the 43rd minute, when midfielder Till Hermandung gave the hosts the advantage by a wonderfully taken free kick, directly finding its way into the net from out wide as a result of Grub’s poor positioning. Etzella had a chance to double their lead before the half-time whistle, but Lex Nicolay's header flew over the bar.

Meanwhile in Dudelange, F91 were already leading against relegation-fighting Käerjéng, and that result guaranteed a place above them for either Hostert or Etzella – or both of them with a draw.

Luckily for the neutrals, the guests started the second half with a newfound energy and commitment, which brought dominance with it. Etzella found it hard to handle the situation and escape the pressure, resorting to long balls over the top and timewasting in order to see out their narrow win that would put them in a favourable position for the league run-in. The golden chance to settle the game once and for all then arrived in the 75th minute, when Hermandung teed up German striker Emro Čurić for the 2-0, but his shot lacked power and precision.

Another chance came soon afterwards, wasted by Mirko Kramarić, whose cross failed to find Luxembourg legend Daniel da Mota. The next chance, on 84 minutes, was presented to Hostert, and they took the chance: Serkan Basha was left alone by the whole Etzella defence, and the young substitute put the ball past Sergio Englaro in the net as the backline stood still, witnessing this comic show from the first row.

The minutes ticked down slowly but surely, and when the final whistle was blown, we could realise: this draw helped everyone and no one at the same time. These vital one point each helped both teams climb above Käerjéng on the table, although it's a fragile lead and nothing to be relied upon just yet. It also makes the relegation race even more exciting, and we can only hope this twist wasn't the last for the remaining three matchdays.

On the other hand, this was arguably the easiest fixture for both teams involved, and they will now find it significantly harder to gain points. Etzella will travel to the capital to play Racing before hosting Strassen and ending the season in Pétange against Union. Meanwhile, Hostert face their last real chance of gaining points against Fola Esch on Sunday, in preparation to a tough two games against cup semi-finalists Differdange and Mondorf, respectively.

Player of the Weekend #27

Twenty-seven weeks of superlatives on Swift Hesper and their players can be tiring and repetitive at times. Doubts of overreacting may arise. One can't help but feel sometimes the focus should be diverted on some lesser-known storylines that are happening.

But when your team has a striker on 28 goals and 24 assists after 27 appearances, and another one on 26 goals and 15 assists, that must be the sign of a scarily well-oiled machine. A ruthless guillotine that never ceases to yield the results. This week, Victoria Rosport fell victims to another individual masterclass from Dominik Stolz, who stole the show with a hat-trick to set the 5-1 scoreline.

Hesper are thus six points ahead of second-placed F91 Dudelange in their quest for a first top tier league title in club history. If they win the two following games against mid-table teams Wiltz 71 and Jeunesse Esch, the finishing act against Niedercorn will be nothing more than a formality.

Goal of the Weekend #27

Charles Morren's long-distance effort for Dudelange wouldn’t look out of place in this column, but it has to reduced to an honourable mention this time, nevertheless.

The biggest goal most weekend was arguably Cédric Sacras' well-hit long range attempt, which just happened to find its way into the top right corner of Rosport's goal to give Hesper the 2-1 lead. Cue the Stolz Show and all that followed, and Hesper fans could enjoy a perfect afternoon at Stade Alphonse Théis once again.

Storyline of the Weekend #27

In the shadow of senior games, the prestigious Coupe de Prince final was also held on the first day of May, delivering an exciting contest between the under19 teams of UN Käerjéng and Racing Union Luxembourg. The game ended 0-0 after the 2*15 minutes of extra time, and the penalty shootout

brought a dramatic end to the much-followed competition, eventually ending in a 3-2 Käerjéng victory. The Reds celebrated their first trophy in the competition since 2014, when they managed to beat Fola Esch in the final. Meanwhile, RFCUL fell at the last hurdle yet again, this time getting even closer to clinching silverware than this time last season, when Union Titus Pétange came out 1-0 winners in the final to be crowned the best youth team in Luxembourg.