The first clash between two title candidates brought a landslide Differdange win, while the first win of the season from a newly-promoted side was unsurprisingly clinched by Rodange. Let’s go through some of the main talking points of the fixture behind us!
Can Differdange defend their crown?
Ahead of 2024/25, with Differdange seeing several indisputable starters leave in the summer transfer window and a failed European qualifying attempt behind them, many talked off the chances of a title defence, at the hands of clubs that strengthened well (Niederkorn) or embarked on a new, ambitious project (Hesperange, Dudelange).
While FCD weren’t the most successful at limiting key departures nor did they drastically shift towards a new approach with their reshaped squad, they proved doubters wrong from the start on the domestic stage with three clean sheets and a maximum 9 points out of 9 so far.
Having seen off a tricky but ultimately inferior Strassen, and a motivated but toothless Fola in the first two games, their derby against F91 Dudelange were expected to present a much tougher obstacle for Pedro Resende’s boys. They did well to disprove that theory: it took less than a minute for last season’s top scorer, Jorginho, to find the net again and give his team the lead.
Differdange had already been a staunch defensive unit in the league in 2023/24, before they opted to sign iconic Brazilian goalkeeper Felipe, easily the best in his position in the Grand Duchy at the moment. As a result, Differdange were allowed to do what they like the most: defend spaces in their own half, launch their quick attackers after winning possession, and create chances through the immense creativity of Guillaume Trani once they are in front of goal.
The above is a brief summary of everything that ended up playing out in the remainder of the game, as F91 roamed forward in search of opportunities, before being stopped and duly punished. Trani doubled the lead himself from a masterfully taken direct free-kick, before he assisted Jorginho in the closing stages to set the final scoreline.
The fact the guests lost by three goals and little to no criticism can be directed at their approach and performance speaks volumes about the sheer dominance of Differdange even against their fiercest, bravest competitors. Dudelange did what proved to be their undoing in Sweden in July: they tried to attack and control the game against considerably better opponents, who took every chance to point out the flaws in the F91 game plan.
With Jorginho and Trani already firing, the sale of Nagera and the unfortunate long-term injury of fellow winger Artur Abreu can barely be felt. In Resende’s well-oiled machine, everyone can step up and put in a shift that is worthy of a second consecutive BGL Ligue victory. It will not be a runaway, pole-to-flag victory, but FCD have sent the message out to all of their competitors.
Jeunesse marred by old mistakes
There are five winless teams after three rounds of action in the National Division, and four of them are relatively easy to guess: two newcomers in SC Bettembourg and US Hostert, and two perennial relegation-fighters in Fola Esch and Mondercange. The fifth? Last season’s revelations Jeunesse Esch, who ended the season with the third-highest points tally of any team in the division over the calendar year 2024.
That inspired climb up the table was desperately needed earlier this year, since Arnaud Bordi took over with the team in the automatic relegation zone, after a Marc Thomé experiment gone horribly wrong. Now, it looks like The Old Lady failed to learn the lessons from that scary first half of the season and again find themselves in a troublesome situation three weeks into the season.
Granted, the draw has not been kind to them so far, either. Draws against Union Titus Pétange and Mondorf are nonetheless acceptable results, and a loss to heavyweights Niederkorn was always on the cards. Besides, selling one of the protagonists of the big surge last season, Armando Mendes Jr (who departed to French Ligue 2 side Guingamp), was widely expected to have a detrimental effect on the team’s efficiency (just like another attacker, Andrea Deidda, tearing his cruciate ligaments).
The individual quality is still there, though, and they will start September with three winnable games in a row (Mondercange, Hostert, Bettembourg). Despite their lacklustre start, Jeunesse are too big to fall and they will prove it sooner or later.
How about their city rivals, on the other hand? Could Fola also be too big to go down? It certainly felt like that for the past two years. Under Stefano Bensi’s management, the club produced several Real Madrid-esque remontadas to keep themselves afloat, on and off the pitch. As the financial obstacles are expected to be solved entirely by 2026, according to current sporting director Pascal Welter, the only thing required to maintain the reputation of Fola as a historical fortress of Luxembourgish football is eking out two more survivals on a shoestring budget first.
Like every year, the autumn season looked nothing like the platform that makes it possible for the oldest club in the country (founded in 1906) to remain competitive. They scored their first goal against Rodange this Sunday, but conceded three and lost without any real chance of gaining a point. After a 0-5 drubbing against Differdange, it marked clear progress, but losing to struggling bottom-half teams does not sound like a recipe for success.
If anything, their only somewhat encouraging display so far came against a Rosport side lacking sufficient depth in just about every outfield position. Playmaker Kevin Marques decided that game with a piece of individual brilliance against an otherwise dogged and determined Fola. A point in the first game against a potential rival in the race for survival would have been worth its weight in gold – now they find themselves with a solitary goal scored, nine conceded, and zero points.
We have learnt over the years that it is foolishly early to give a verdict on Fola’s future before the spring season starts going, but what we can say for sure is that things have not improved at the Stade Émile Mayrisch. The main saving grace of the Bensi crew lies in the strength of the competition this time around. While last year saw Marisca Mersch go down despite boasting the second-best marksman in the league (Benny Bresch) and Schifflange failed to keep themselves in contention despite being packed with stars such as Mehdi Kirch or Nabil Dirar, the clubs who took their places look significantly less equipped to the division’s requirements.
Fola have often got their act together in the closing weeks of the campaign only to save themselves miraculously in the play-offs (in May, they stayed up after a penalty shootout; last year, they did so through a 120+2’ decider). They do not look any worse than in the previous seasons. If they can handle the pressure mentally and thrive under the spotlight for the third time in a row, the Great Escape is a viable route. But sadly, it does not look like we will see a strong, competitive Fola Esch in the league any time soon.
