Matchday 19 review

BGL Ligue Matchday 19 review

On matchdays when all the matches kick off at the exact same time, essentially preventing viewers from following more than one of them at once, it is especially useful to turn to RTL’s Livearena tool, a hub of all results, highlights and statistics updated every week.

Those who did tune in on Sunday could witness several mouth-watering ties as Fola grabbed their first win of 2024, Dudelange dropped points, and Hesper survived a real scare. The 16 teams treated the viewers to 28 goals across the eight games (equating to 3.5 goals per game!), and while some contests were naturally more intense and fast-flowing, there cannot be too many complaints aimed at any of the teams for a lack of effort.

Wiltz stay empty-handed despite equalising thrice

One of the undisputed match-ups of the weekend was Wiltz 71 vs Swift Hesperange, and a reunion between last season’s champions Swift Hesper and their former players Youn Czekanowicz and Kévin Malget.

Czekanowicz only left Holleschbierg in the winter, finding game time hard to come by after a string of sub-par performances. He, like Malget, decided to return to their hometown instead and take a step back with the prospect of leaping two steps forward after a successful redemption.

This month marks the 10-year anniversary of Wiltz’s last win against Swift, and the gap in quality between the two squads was apparent from early on this time. Talismanic German striker Dominik Stolz, back from the ‘loft’ after two games as a castaway, got Hesper a much-needed two-goal lead with a rapidfire brace inside the first 20 minutes.

Wiltz, winless since mid-November, was not going to give up that easy, intent on avoiding a further slide down the table. Max Klump pulled one back, blasting a wonderful long shot into the bottom corner, before Hesper defender Abdoul Karim Danté found his own goal with a misguided header from a Wiltz cross. By half-time, the hosts were heroically holding out, keeping the giants on their toes. What they hadn’t accounted for was the inevitable Holzhauser.

Raphael Holzhauser had contributed with four goals and an assist in his three appearances since arriving in Luxembourg from Belgian top-tier side Leuven. The Austrian midfield maestro was at his best again here, securing the winning position for Hesper twice over the course of the game. The first came early into the second half, when he was the quickest to react to a rebound from a Stolz shot parried away by Czekanowicz, while the second was a lot more akin to the sort of moves the club recruited him for: a brilliant direct free kick, drilled over the wall and into the net with surgical precision, with the score standing at 4-4 at 85 minutes played.

The fact he assisted Ricardo Delgado from another assist in between was merely the icing on the cake. On an afternoon when Hesper’s defence were often coming up second-best in their duels against ambitious and energised Wiltz forwards (Benjamin Romeyns chief amongst them), Holzhauser was once again the difference tipping the scales in Swift’s favour.

After 6 goals and 2 assists in only 4 games, the impact of this big-name signing cannot be overlooked. Watching him split defences with his passes and creativity among the picturesque hills of the Ardennes, one could only wonder how this Austrian international ended up in the Grand Duchy so early in his career. At 31 years of age, there are no doubts left that he has hardly left his prime yet. Or so it looks.

Fola start their journey upwards

It is never easy to build any momentum with the weakest squad in the league.

This has been the case for Fola Esch for both of the past two seasons, since the club embarked on a challenging path, enforced by financial struggles, which resulted in contracts being terminated, staff recruits only arriving from within the institution, and former players being replaced exclusively by free agents and members of the academy.

The above description resembles the typical story of a club in demise, or one diving into liquidation head-first, limping through their last campaign before folding for good. Instead, for Fola, this has become the norm.

The appointment of Stefano Bensi as head coach after less than a month of managerial experience with the reserve team was surprising news to many around the team last year, given the former Luxembourg attacker had just retired from playing – effective immediate. Acclimatisation periods were non-existent, and there was no time for the coach to build a new playing philosophy, with his team terribly isolated at the foot of the table at the point of his arrival in November 2022.

Despite the adversity he faced, he was able to achieve a big success in his first job, notably keeping Fola in the division against all odds, in part thanks to a three-game win streak that looked unimaginable then and looks just as improbable at the moment. It was enough for a place in the relegation play-off, which they duly sealed against Jeunesse Canach after a 4-3 win and a last-gasp decider.

What Bensi and his staff might not have envisaged was that the situation would only end up turning worse, but it is what happened. Fola’s key players still keep leaving the club as soon as they show any promise, and this winter break was once again spent in last place, which could prove good omen but is still largely unpreferable for any team.

It was in these circumstances Fola Esch hosted Schifflange, another struggling team (on the pitch, at least), with the gap to survival being an alarming seven points. For a last-placed team, the Eschers played with impressive courage and determination, in full awareness of how crucial it is to win - and to win now.

Even after scoring early, they stayed on the front foot and perhaps even left themselves too exposed to counter-attacks, which was punished right away by a really direct Schifflange team, after Hervin Djétou cancelled out Hénoc Isamene’s opener.

The Fola faithful could be forgiven for feeling hard done by after producing a plethora of chances, but eventually coming up just short in front of goal, with their finishes often being too nervous, or their decision-making questionable. The theme of the second half was largely a home side marauding up the field to get a cross or a through ball in, which would then bounce to harmless territory after all the attackers failed to get a foot in.

Their efforts were not bearing fruit for much of the game, but a goal from a last-minute corner kick compensated for all the tension and impatience throughout the game. Schifflange had no time to respond to Joey Tshitoku’s sucker-punch, and with those vital three points, Fola find themselves only four behind Mondercange on the table – with a superior goal difference, too.

It might be too early to call a comeback after a single win, but it’s the same that happened last year. It is a mountain to climb, granted; but Fola Esch might just have started to climb it.

Around the pitches

UNA Strassen and Victoria Rosport played out a fourth draw in their last five head-to-head games. The top-half clash ended goalless this time around, which is enough for Strassen to retain their fifth place, while Victoria can also hope to secure their first top-half finish since 2015.

Jonathan Schmid scored his first goal in Niederkorn’s colours since signing from Austria Lustenau in January. The former Freiburg and Hoffenheim winger opened the scoring against Union Titus Pétange, who equalised at first but were beaten by Sofiane Daham’s decider. Daham is a fellow winter arrival, who has finally opened his scoring account for Progrès.

Käerjéng held F91 Dudelange to an unlikely 2-2 draw, in no small part thanks to an impressive contribution from young goalkeeper Noah Scheidweiler. Helped by an own goal, F91 had chances to see the game out with a win, but Stefan Lopes salvaged a point for UNK. They are nevertheless still under relegation play-off threat.

Differdange put their latest opponents Mondorf away without much doubt in an asserted and collected display from the group. Their advantage after the 2-0 win now stands at four points, ahead of second-placed F91. The goals were scored by Guillaume Trani and Jorginho. FCD remain unbeaten across 2023/24.

Jeunesse Esch recorded a fourth win in as many games since the restart of the league in February. Their latest victims were Mondercange, who succumbed to a 2-0 loss. In the last four games, Jeunesse scored 5 goals after the 80th minute, and they left it late here too, scoring twice in the closing stages. Mondercange looked worryingly toothless in their attempts to hold out for a draw, and could not escape the relegation places in the end.

Racing Union brushed Marisca Mersch aside in their quest to return to their pre-winter form. After 11 goals conceded and 0 scored last month, their confident win is a sign of a team that are way too consistent to be going down. Marisca’s Benny Bresch leads the scoring charts after converting a penalty, and his team is sitting outside of the relegation spots for now, having a game in hand on their rivals.*

* Marisca Mersch vs Fola Esch has been postponed from last Sunday and will be played this Wednesday (6 March), from 20:00. As always, the games’ live commentaries, highlights and full video footage are all available on RTL.lu’s Live Arena hub.