The Luxembourg women's national team commenced their journey in the Women's Football European Qualifiers by facing Albania in Esch-sur-Alzette on Friday evening, drawing a crowd of 511 spectators.
After the men's team, it was the turn of the women's national football team to return to action in the Nations League. Assigned to a group alongside Albania and Estonia, the Red Lionesses entered the match with fresh faces - with eight new players joining the squad compared to previous encounters against Georgia and Lithuania.
They emerged victorious from this first game, with a late 2-1 win.
The complete game run-through
© Val Wagner
Facing off against Albania at the Stade Emile Mayrisch in Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg was off to a strong start, launching two shots on target within the first ten minutes of play.
In the 12th minute, goalkeeper Lucie Schlimé demonstrated her prowess by thwarting an attacking move from the Albanian side.
Luxembourg had a prime opportunity to break the deadlock in the 15th minute when Joana Lourenco navigated past the Albanian goalkeeper, only for a defender to intervene at the last moment, denying the scoring chance.
In the 28th minute, a powerful shot from Leila Schmit was saved by Rexhepi.
In the 31st minute, the Albanians celebrated when they scored practically out of nowhere… but the joy was short-lived. An offside situation meant that the score remained 0-0.
First shot, first goal
However, Albania found the breakthrough in the 43rd minute. Following a free kick, Quendresa Kasniqi capitalised on a scoring opportunity, securing a 1-0 lead for Albania with their first significant shot on Luxembourg's goal.
With this result, both teams headed into halftime with Albania holding a slim advantage.
Half-time score stands at 0-1
The start of the second half saw substitutions for Luxembourg, with Isabel Albert and Amy Thompson taking the field, replacing Eva Fernandes and Kylie Merlevede. The visiting team appeared to have the upper hand early on, as evidenced by a header from Berisha in the 51st minute, followed by a narrowly missed shot from Megi Doci just moments later.
In the 64th minute, Krasniqi found herself with an opportunity on the left flank, but her shot narrowly missed the target, veering wide of the left post.
© Val Wagner
Luxembourg pressed on, with Marta Estévez delivering a promising free kick in the 62nd minute that sailed just inches above the crossbar. The Albanian goalkeeper would have been hard-pressed to reach the ball had it been directed slightly lower towards the goal, marking the best chance of the half for Luxembourg.
However, it was Albania who came close to extending their lead in a swift counter-attack, as Gjini's attempt narrowly missed the mark, skimming past the second post. The momentum swung back and forth, with Luxembourg mounting a promising attack that unfortunately failed to culminate in a goal.
Red Lionesses strike back
Luxembourg's persistence paid off in the 68th minute when Charlotte Schmit's shot sailed past the Albanian goalkeeper, resulting in a levelled scoreline of 1-1.
In the 75th minute, Amy Thompson and Charlotte Schmit executed an intricate play on the left flank, yet their efforts failed to find the back of the net.
As the clock ticked towards the final minutes of play, Lucie Schlimé showcased her prowess with a remarkable save in the 77th minute, denying the Albanian side from reclaiming the lead with a potential 2-1 scoreline. The subsequent corner kick posed no threat to the Luxembourg goal, ensuring the score remained unchanged.
Luxembourg takes the lead
In the 87th minute, Luxembourg surged ahead with a score of 2-1, courtesy of a remarkable assist from Charlotte Schmit to Amy Thompson.
In the 90th minute, Letitia Mateus found herself with a promising opportunity to extend Luxembourg's lead to 3-1 from the left flank. However, the goalkeeper managed to deflect her shot from a challenging angle, thwarting the scoring attempt.
Despite four additional minutes being added to the match, the scoreline remained unchanged.
© Val Wagner
With a hard-fought performance, Luxembourg emerged triumphant with a 2-1 victory over Albania, securing the top position in Group C5 after the opening match.
Their upcoming fixture is slated for Albania on 4 June, followed by a showdown against Estonia in Luxembourg on 12 July. The return match against Estonia is scheduled just four days later.
