Matchday 15 review

Unbeaten autumn champions!

FC Differdange’s lead at the top of the table after the first half-season was all but confirmed already, but they understandably tried to extend their unbeaten streak and keep it alive for a further three months at least by defeating Wiltz 71 in the Oesling.

Both the personnel choices in the starting lineup and the initial passages of play in the game showed Differdange were treating the occasion with maximum commitment and respect. It took long to bear fruit, after a string of important and impressive diving saves from Wiltz’s Luxembourg international Ralph Schon to retain his side’s chances of getting away with a point (or more).

In the 63rd minute, FCD’s efforts did pay off with a Jorginho finish finding its way into the net and finally breaking the deadlock. Another twist was still to be had in the game, though, as a resilient Wiltz kept marching on after falling behind and eventually got their way via a stop-gap equaliser after a corner, headed in masterfully by Benjamin Romeyns.

The draw looks somewhat flattering for Wiltz and undoubtedly a testament of Schon’s abilities in goal, but Differdange fans cannot be overly frustrated with how the game panned out for their side. As F91 Dudelange lost in Niederkorn, FCD extended their gap on top to four points.

But it’s not all about the points tallies. With nine wins and six draws in fifteen games, Differdange ended the autumn period without a single loss, a feat that has only been achieved seven times this century in the BGL Ligue. It’s the second time Differdange completed it (after 2016/17), while the only other clubs to have managed it are F91 Dudelange and Swift Hesperange.

With a new manager, many suspected FCD might struggle this season. After a splendid European run in the summer, Angolan striker Érico de Castro was poached by Slovenian Maribor, which could have easily thrown a spanner in the works. Instead, his replacement Jorginho looks like he is, in fact, an upgrade on Érico. Other notable additions including former PSG talent Kenny Nagera and overseas signings Néstor Monge and Lucas Pruzzo have also been able to add real quality to the team.

Whether they can stay the course and avoid losing in the spring season too, would be hard to predict ahead of the winter transfer window. However, with their flawless autumn outings, they have definitely laid the perfect foundations upon which to build their title challenge for the remainder of the season.

A match that never materialised

Sunday afternoon gained increased importance in the eyes of Jeunesse Esch fanatics before the latest matchday, after their team had slipped into the relegation zone following a run of 10 games without a single win.

2023’s curtain-raiser against a similarly struggling Victoria Rosport, therefore, would be played amid considerable scrutiny. Jeunesse had never finished the autumn season lower than ninth (that, too, in the 14-team era). This time, the best scenario after 14 games was a tenth place in the event of a win against Rosport and all the direct rivals losing or drawing their respective games against higher-ranked teams.

However, for an unspecified period of time, Jeunesse remain 14th. We will be given more insight into the rough scale of that period once the FLF clarifies when postponed matches across the divisions would be played (most likely in February or March). That because, for what it’s worth, the Jeunesse game was simply not played.

Advocates of shorter winter breaks and quicker resumption of the season after new year in the Grand Duchy usually try to back their point by comparing the league to those of the bigger nations. On the contrary, looking at the weather conditions in Luxembourg in the winter months can quickly revoke those claims.

At times this season, pitches have been barely playable in the BGL Ligue. Only this season, a game had already had to be cancelled because of excessive snowfall, and another due to a shortage of electricity in the stadium. Such technical issues are trademarks of semi-professional and amateur football, and are not prevalent in relevant numbers in a professional league. This might be one of the reasons why the BGL Ligue isn’t necessarily worth comparing to the Bundesliga or Ligue 1 when it comes to times and dates in the league.

Weather issues caused Sunday’s game to be paused too, after 70 minutes played. The muddy pitch was deemed unplayable by the refereeing team after heavy rain from half-time further worsened the state of the grass. Victoria Rosport was holding a 1-0 lead at the time of the cancellation, but by FLF rules, all games that are postponed or stopped mid-game will be replayed in their entirety at the date chosen by the federation.

Thus, for the foreseeable future, the Eschers cannot escape the relegation zone.

Progrès end Dudelange’s defensive run in derby win

F91 Dudelange had the opportunity to see the autumn off with a sixth consecutive clean sheet, having not conceded a single goal since 8 October. Overcoming Swift Hesperange in the process with a 1-0 win must have given Jamath Shoffner’s boys extra confidence of being able to repeat the same performance in the derby against Progrès Niederkorn.

A win could have extended their lead above Niederkorn to a grand nine points after 15 games played, and reduced the gap from the first place to a single point.

What we got instead was a tense and nervy affair, with several cards and half-chances, mostly from Progrès’ side. The first (and, as it turned out, the only) goal of the game came exactly at the half-hour mark, when Gilson Delgado’s header from a corner finally beat Didier Desprez at the far post after a month without conceding.

Surprisingly, the rest of the game offered little by way of twists, as Niederkorn stayed the dominant side, F91 only showing flashes of their attacking potency.

The final whistle was blown at 1-0, and albeit featuring two strong sides with a chance to qualify for Europe, this particular match will probably not end up making it into the end-of-season reels.

Around the pitches

Fola’s professional striker Kévin Quinol returned from a four-month injury and inspired his team’s comeback in a 3-2 win against Mondorf at home, scoring a 90+4th-minute winner. Fola are only three points below city rivals Jeunesse after the win.

Union Titus Pétange, however inconsistent, were back at their reckless best against Marisca Mersch on Saturday, picking the newly-promoted team apart 4-1. Benny Bresch scored his 14th goal in 15 games for Marisca this season (and is still top scorer), but it wasn’t enough to cope with an Union attack consisting of Abreu, Benteke and Tekiela.

UNA Strassen, the team with the most draws this season, extended their tally to 6 in 15 games, this time playing out a dull 0-0 against Mondercange, who are thus out of the relegation playoff zone again. Strassen sit right in the middle of the pack in eighth place.

Schifflange and Käerjéng both held surprising leads against Swift Hesper and Racing Union respectively, but in both instances, the hosts turned the game around and the final scoreline was 2-1. For Hesper, it took until stoppage time for Jérôme Simon’s beautiful curler to win the game for Roland Vrabec’s side. The loss pushed last season’s second-division champions Schifflange into the danger area, behind Mondercange and with a chance of having to play a relegation playoff.

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