For the first time in history, four Luxembourgish teams reached the second qualifying round of European club competitions. However, they have been somewhat wasteful with their grand chance so far, as none of the clubs are currently holding an advantage heading into the second legs of their respective ties.
All good things must come to an end.
It was apparent we would have to say goodbye to the current line-up of a four-team delegation playing in the continental cups sooner or later, given the pure strength and financial muscle of some of their opponents. But could it all be coming crashing down in the second round already, taking down all representatives of the Grand Duchy at the same time?
The picture is bleak now. Even after the draws were made about the new pairings last Monday, there was a good reason to be optimistic about what was to come, even if some of the clubs will arguably have it tough in Round 3 if they progress from the current stage first.
All of Swift Hesper, F91 Dudelange and Differdange 03 prepared to face teams of equal or similar strength. Of the three, F91 lost their first match by two goals, making it almost impossible to mount a comeback against Maltese Gzira United. Swift and Differdange did at least hold out for a draw, with their ties to be decided next week (The New Saints playing at the Stade de Luxembourg on Tuesday, while Maribor will host FCD on Thursday in Slovenia).
The gutting part that makes the two draws so much harder to swallow is the fact both Hesper and FCD had the lead for most of the game. Hesperange scored in the 14th minute of their game in the United Kingdom, and had the chance to add another, before Dominik Stolz missed his second penalty from three attempts this season so far. As the game transpired, it proved to be a costly miss from the German. A fine, but nevertheless unexpected shot from distance from striker Rory Holden levelled a scores at a tight game where an all-important penalty goal could have gained a lot more breathing space for Swift before the reverse fixture.
The circumstances of how the Differdange game unfolded were even more disheartening. Despite their standing in the game suggesting them to be undisputed underdogs, the Luxembourgers did well to exploit the chaos around their former Champions League-participant opponents NK Maribor lately, who only just squeezed through from their previous round against a Maltese team via a late decider.
Like Hesperange, FCD also opened the scoring within the first half an hour and was unfazed at the prospect of playing big-hitters after their flawless pre-season with returning manager Pedro Resende.
After their early goal, it was as smooth sailing from FCD as it can be expected against a moderately dangerous Maribor attack. Over the 90 minutes, Maribor only registered one more shot than their opponents. Unfortunately, that shot came in the 90+5th minute, still at 0-0.
Arnel Jakupović’s free-kick, above the wall, past Romain Ruffier, into the short corner, was the last kick of the game. A huge blow for a Differdange side that almost pulled off an upset, and was very deserving of doing so. A result in Slovenia isn’t out of their reach by any means judging by what we have seen, so far, but the string of luck Maribor are getting with late goals helping them through in every contest so far is rather frustrating, and definitely demotivating. No team likes playing opponents that know how to manage the late stages of a game. It’s the equivalent of having to knock out a boxer that will always stand up and bounce back.
As resilience goes, Dudelange and Niedercorn will need plenty of that in their mid-week games. F91 Dudelange’s defeat against Gzira have briefly been touched upon above, in a game with limited entertainment factor for everyone but die-hard Maltese football enjoyers.
On the other hand, Progrès can hold their heads high after their 0-2 defeat against Midtjylland. The Danish opponents on the day were in the knockout stages of last year’s Europa League, so a loss was always on the cards, and the task looked significantly tougher than that of any of the fellow Luxembourgish competitors.
No matter how impossible it might have seemed to score against Midtjylland, Progrès kept trying vehemently – and even succeeded once, before it was flagged for a tiny margin of offside. Unfortunately, it was the wake-up call FCM needed and they went on to score twice, outplaying the defensive setup in Niedercorn in a way that left nothing to chance. Some lively moments from their attackers showed gap in quality between the respective leagues (and the teams themselves), while Niedercorn’s players bravely fought to reduce the deficit. After a number of one-on-one situations missed, though, there was no luck to be found.
All in all, Luxembourg’s eggs are now in Hesper’s basket – and FCD’s, if they are to pull off what they ultimately couldn’t last week, despite being so close. F91 Dudelange had the most favourable draw in this round but could easily be the first team from the country to be eliminated, after their game at Stade Jos Nosbaum on Wednesday. The crowd of the Stade Municipal in Differdange might also witness a loss, but it will undoubtedly be a spectacle regardless, when Niedercorn invite Midtjylland for a reverse fixture with not all that much to play for.
