Mondercange celebrate first point

French forward Thomas Robert propelled FCM to their first point by quickly responding to Matheus’ opener in the 7th minute. It was Robert’s third goal in the last two games, after his brace against RFCUL in an eventual 5-2 defeat (despite being 2-0 up at one point).

The winger, who has already played for Mouscron in Belgium and Airdrieonians in Scotland, has adapted quickly to new surroundings. For a struggling team lacking in attacking reinforcements after losing Maxime Fleury to personal issues, someone desperately needed to step up. While the winless streak continues almost three months into the season, Robert’s qualities can offer the fans some hope in these dire times.

Strassen were caught out by a long shot to the bottom corner only three minutes after Matheus pounced on a lost ball in defence to give his team the lead. The guests then tried to regain control of the game, but their overly cautious approach prevented them from reaching a breakthrough. Their 14 goals scored this season is the lowest figure among top-half teams and only ranks above five other sides in the competition. With the amount of attacking options they have (Nicolas Perez, Zachary Hadji, Matheus, Conrad Azong, Bruno Correia Mendes, and the list continues…), their reactive approach does not always seem justified.

In their next fixture, they must attack. Their opponents will be third-division Kayl-Tétange, who will certainly do their best to minimise spaces to exploit behind the defence, giving Strassen the power of possession. Whether Strassen can come up with a more creative approach suiting the deadliness of their attackers will be the question of the day, although admittedly, the gap between the two teams’ individual abilities can prove enough by itself.

Mondercange, on the other hand, will face Wiltz 71 in the cup later this week. That competition must remain the main focus of the FCM squad after their woeful league start destined them for a bumpy ride and an almost inevitable relegation. Wiltz have the upper hand on paper, but after their first positive result of the season, Mondercange will have nothing to lose.

Stolz still firing… at club level, for now

In a recent interview, long-standing Swift Hesper great Dominik Stolz revealed that he has been working hard to acquire Luxembourgish citizenship, including taking language lessons.

Whether the national team will be interested in his services is not clear yet, but in the meantime, the German attacker will continue to prove everyone of his undeniable brilliance in front of goal. His double against Fola Esch secured three points for his team, who are holding on to their second place, five points behind leaders Differdange.

Stolz has seven goals and three assists in eleven games so far, and Swift will expectedly rely on him again for derbies against Dudelange and Niederkorn in the coming weeks, too. After that, 2025 can be the year he gets to show himself on another stage, representing his adopted country.

Watching the Luxembourgish national team, there is an evident gaping hole in the striker position. In Yvandro’s absence, Gerson Rodrigues is forced to play outside of his natural position, while all the other alternatives are either struggling for game time at club level or simply lacking the cutting edge in their game.

Adding Stolz, 34, to the roster would be beneficial in the short term, but might end up hindering the younger players who would benefit the most from the opportunities Luxembourg can give them. Players like Alessio Curci, Jayson Videira or David Jonathans, who have all been called up in the past, might see themselves out of contention upon the arrival of a big-name addition.

Stolz could offer experience, leadership and reliability on and off the pitch. His reading of the game, his intelligence and his movements without the ball would help any team out in the next few months. Whether the Red Lions are at a point where they can afford to accommodate him instead of blossoming young talents, though, is worth thinking about.

Around the pitches

© Val Wagner

Ten-man F91 Dudelange fell behind twice in Pétange, but equalised both times to rescue a point against Union. Samir Hadji scored his eighth goal in 11 appearances, while UTP goalkeeper André Barrela managed to provide an assist in the first half, for Belmin Muratović’s opener. F91 are still in a podium place despite the draw, while the Pétange side sit safe in tenth.

Artur Abreu continues his successful comeback from a lengthy injury lay-off, scoring his second goal in the past three games. His latest one restored Differdange’s lead against Hostert, before striker Jorginho added another one to his tally to finish the match with a brace and set the 3-1 final scoreline for FCD, who conceded a goal for only the second time all season.

Niederkorn failed to seize Dudelange’s mistake and occupy their third place by dropping two points at home against Mondorf. The Angry Goats were surprisingly the calmer team on the field in a game that saw Progrès rack up seven yellow cards (including two for Brian Amofa). Issa Bah’s penalty saved the Bees from losing, but the draw still means they are lagging behind Dudelange and RFCUL in the race for the podium.

Wiltz 71 recorded back-to-back wins for the first time this campaign after seeing off Bettembourg 0-1 away from home. The Oesling side can feel unlucky not to have added some more goals for good measure, given the total dominance they enjoyed throughout. The win was still enough to rise above their latest opponents on the league table on goal difference, although Bettembourg also stay out of the relegation play-off places ahead of travelling to Rosport next week.

Rodange put on their strongest showing to date under new manager Mehdi El Alaoui, but it still proved insufficient as they limped to a narrow 1-0 defeat against Victoria Rosport. An early goal by wing-back Gonçalo Rodrigues settled the score in the opening minutes, and the newly-promoted side did well to avoid conceding another, thanks to goalkeeper heroics from Gabon international Anthony Mfa Mezui.

Lucas Rodrigues scored for the third consecutive game for Jeunesse Esch on a night they saw off Racing with an eventual 2-1 win, experienced defensive all-rounder Mickaël Garos scoring the second. Racing’s momentum seems to have been halted after two consecutive defeats ended their 10-game unbeaten run earlier in the season.

Next week, the Luxembourgish Cup continues with the Round of 32, with the marquee clash being Racing FCUL vs Swift Hesper. Rosport are facing Bettembourg, while Fola meat Union Titus Pétange, while other top-level teams will all visit lower-league opponents.