BGL Ligue Matchday 1 review

The first whistle blows and the 2023/24 BGL Ligue season is officially underway. Below are a couple of footnotes and observations after this first tumultuous weekend.

36 goals in 8 games!

An average return of 4.5 goals per game was the perfect way to kick off the season – with some familiar and less familiar sights.

First of all, set piece goals were to be seen in abundance – eight coming after corners, four-four from free kicks and penalties each – which accounts for roughly 44% of all goals over the weekend.

There were particularly set piece-rich games, like Differdange vs Fola Esch, where a total of four goals came after such situations, besides two from open play (Differdange came out 5-1 winners). Meanwhile, both sides were awarded (and proceeded to score) a penalty each at Mondorf vs Racing Luxembourg, although the game ended with a 3-1 away win.

We saw a goal from a direct free kick too – only 21 minutes into the season. On Saturday evening, Marian Sarr scored Union Titus Pétange’s second goal in a 3-3 draw against newly-promoted Schifflange 95 from a brilliant effort above the wall and into the top corner.

Some other notable set piece performances include F91 Dudelange academy graduate Ivan Englaro, whose two corners resulted in a Wiltz 71 own goal and a Vincent Decker goal in the space of two minutes! Differdange’s Guillaume Trani managed to go one further later that evening, assisting from a corner before scoring from a penalty. Hesperange defender Simão Martins notably recorded a late goal-assist combination, both from UNA Strassen’s chaotic, ill-positioned set piece defending.

Despite the glut of goals, only two players were able to score a brace: the aforementioned Trani was the second to do so after Téo Herr, who scored twice against Union in the first game of the season.

Another strange record related to the high number of goals is the fact that all 16 teams found the net in their first game – I didn’t manage to find a single season in BGL Ligue history (going back in time further than the millennium) when none of the participating teams kept a clean sheet past their first 90 minutes. Historic low for defending, perhaps, but a historic high for entertainment

All European teams win

None of the four teams playing in the continental cups as late as last Thursday found it a big obstacle to start the domestic season on a high, as F91 Dudelange, Differdange 03 and Progrès Niederkorn all ended up getting three points, besides reigning champions Swift Hesperange, who still have European duties coming up this week. Despite the hectic schedule and high stakes, Hesper manager Carlos Fangueiro fielded a more or less full-strength line-up, featuring dependables Dominik Stolz, Rachid Alioui and Négo Ekofo, among others. With a bloated squad of 35 players, perhaps more rotation was expected.

As for the other three teams mentioned above, their own adventures in the Conference League ended last week, when they all suffered narrow, bitter losses (F91 conceded in the 86th minute; Niedercorn in the 112’; Differdange in the 120+2’, from a penalty) which meant they could launch a full force team to battle for another podium place this year. Of the three, FCD look the most convincing as of yet, after winning all their pre-season test matches, drawing twice to Slovenian big-hitters Maribor, and now scoring five past a shaky-looking, young Fola team.

Hesperange were the only other side to grab five goals, and they did so with five different scorers – two of them, Dāvis Sprūds and Simão are defenders – which goes to show the depth they can boast to share the goalscoring burden which will be key to another good performance this season (and, as many suggest, to another league title ultimately).

1 point for the promoted teams

While Schifflange were able to mount a late, dramatic comeback against UTP to save the day and get a 3-3 draw, their fellow newbie top-flight members (with one season between the two teams), Marisca Mersch, lost their season opener at home to Victoria Rosport.

The two teams went through highly contrasting transfer windows so far, as Schifflange were eager in following up their second division title with a host of big-name, experienced signings from the traditional top clubs, prising away F91 captain Mehdi Kirch, and Racing FCUL trio Jonathan Hennetier, (midfielder and club PR officer) Kévin Nakache and Mickaël Garos. Marisca, on the other hand, trusted the team that achieved second place both in the Ehrenpromotion and the Luxembourgish Cup, getting 90 minutes away from a European qualifier spot but losing in the final to Differdange in June. The word from the club’s board was that in order to keep improving and build on last season’s foundations, no major shake-up of the playing squad was needed.

So far, Schifflange’s more courageous spending seems to be paying off, as Miralem Pjanić’s boyhood club achieved a better result against remarkably stronger opponents. Mersch are widely tipped to be struggling for survival in their first-ever top tier season, and losing at home to bottom half candidates Rosport definitely aids that notion.

As always, the games’ live commentaries, highlights and full video footage are all available on RTL.lu’s Live Arena hub.

The scorelines:

Schifflange 3-3 Union Titus Pétange

UNA Strassen 1-5 Swift Hesper

Marisca Mersch 1-2 Victoria Rosport

F91 Dudelange 3-1 Wiltz 71

Mondorf 1-3 Racing FC Union

Käerjéng 1-2 Mondercange

Jeunesse Esch 1-3 Progrès Niederkorn

Differdange 5-1 Fola Esch