Rotundo masterclass gives F91 edge over Hesper

The player of the week is unquestionably F91’s American playmaker Evan Rotundo, who showed flashes of his brilliance at different parts of the season so far, without ever retaining his momentum.
 
It looks like he is back at his creative best now, after his goal and two assists helped his team defeat one of their biggest competitors for the European places – the wealthy Swift Hesperange.
 
The scoring started early, with Rotundo’s cross deflected by an unlucky defender into the path of scoring machine Samir Hadji, who took out three other opponents with a body feint and putting the ball in the net.
 
The equaliser came soon after, as Dejvid Sinani required only five minutes to settle the scores, but that didn’t stop Rotundo, who took matters in his own hands this time around, scoring a scintillating goal from the corner of the box half an hour into the game.
 
A penalty from Dominik Stolz after a prolonged first-half stoppage time seemed to put the guests firmly back into the game temporarily, although Dudelange’s superiority with the ball was apparent throughout. It was reflected in yet another goal soon after, when overlapping wing-back Denis Stumpf capitalised on a smart pass across the defence by Miguel Gonçalves to make it 3-2.
 
However, there were still a few twists and turns in the remaining forty minutes. Stumpf turned from hero to zero by collecting his second yellow card and being given an early bath, while Hesper substitute Karim Bouhmidi made matters worse by scoring in the 84th minute, rescuing a point for his team once again.
 
Both teams committed everything to grabbing a late winner, frantically pacing up the pitch without much tactical discipline. The 401 fans in attendance were granted one last highlight in the end, when an 89th minute corner by Rotundo found defender Vincent Decker at the near post, who beat his marker to tuck the ball home and keep all three points in Dudelange.
 
The win was extremely crucial in light of three-point showings from Niederkorn and Racing Union, too, meaning Dudelange also had to record a win in order to keep their place on the podium. They have now levelled Hesper’s tally of 29 points in 13 games, while FC Differdange’s advantage at the summit of the league table has grown to eight points.

Fola victorious in relegation six-pointer

The two most underwhelming performers of the 2024/25 season faced each other in a bid to improve their fortunes and put themselves in a better position when the winter break finally arrives.
 
Fola Esch had spent the past few seasons languishing near the foot of the table, while Mondercange also experienced their fair share of adversity since they achieved promotion in 2022, but not quite to the scale of their current troubles, amassing one draw and 11 losses in their opening 12 outings.
 
Both teams have already changed coaches this year, too, as Stefano Bensi resigned from Fola due to the amount of stress and the difficulty at the task at hand after a challenging past two years at the helm. FCM manager Sébastien Mazurier was replaced by Joris di Gregorio last month, before the latter proceeded to lose his own job after a matter of weeks in charge.
 
It is difficult to think of a match-up in the league where Fola would be favourites to win, but the chaos around FCM and the hiring of a third manager in five months (this time loyal servant Marc Depienne, who has managed the reserve team before) exasperated issues for Sunday’s guests.
 
Adrien Scholler exploited his opponents’ misery, scoring his second-ever BGL Ligue goal since signing from third-division YB Weiler in the summer. The 18-year-old forward finished off an impressive solo run with a calm finish in the far corner.
 
Mondercange regrouped effectively after a lacklustre first half dominated by Fola attacks, and started creating dangerous scoring opportunities. A heroic display from goalkeeper Emanuel Cabral and experienced defender Julien Klein contributed greatly to the victory, which lifted Fola within one point of the relegation play-off zone, increasing the gap to FCM to six points.

Bensi’s five-star debut

Having left Fola earlier this season, many suspected former fan favourite Stefano Bensi would stay loyal to the club and return after a period of rest, as he cited a mentally draining period of time towards the end of his stint in the dugout.
 
It turned out to be a short breather before he was back in the business, as last season’s surprising European contenders UNA Strassen appointed him earlier this month, after parting ways with Vítor Pereira.
 
Bensi’s first competitive match was in the domestic cup, where Strassen easily progressed against amateurs Kayl-Tétange, with a score of 8-0. His league debut finally came on Sunday, after a two-week international break, which gave the squad another few training sessions to become more familiar with the new boss’s methods.
 
The opponents were Jeunesse Esch, and a home scenery at Complexe Sportif Jean Wirtz provided a perfect atmosphere for Strassen to start this new era. The players jumped at the opportunity: Zachary Hadji calmly slotted the ball into an empty net after Matheus pounced on an amateur goalkeeping mistake in the 8th minute. Jeunesse then took control of the game, enjoying more possession and a few shots that ultimately didn’t challenge Koray Özcan between the sticks.
 
It took a while for Strassen’s players to regain their momentum, and they were also hindered by an injury to defender Gauthier Bernardelli. On the hour mark, Hadji made it a brace for himself, before being substituted for Nicolas Perez. The French striker is a talismanic figure at the club, but his influence has understandably waned somewhat at the age of 34.
 
He has refined his game style, relying more and more on his technique and physical strength instead of his once-explosive speed. He had an instant impact on this afternoon, providing an assist to Matheus merely three minutes after entering the pitch. Perez added two goals to his own tally in the last five minutes, his 89th-minute direct free kick being the cherry on top.
 
Jeunesse had no answers as they watched UNA make up for all the lost opportunities and disappointing performances of recent weeks. Bensi got all aspects of the game to click on his very first attempt, avenging much of the misery Jeunesse had inflicted on him during his previous role with cross-town rivals Fola.

Around the pitches

Racing Union Luxembourg are back to winning ways as Okpo Mazié’s goal tipped the scales in their favour against newly-promoted Bettembourg. RFCUL’s first victory for a month keeps them two points off the European spots.
 
FC Differdange 03 are 2024’s autumn champions, as they extended their lead at the top with a 5-1 dismantling of Rodange away from home. Central defender Théo Brusco recorded a brace, Artur Abreu did too, while top scorer Jorginho scored once after assisting thrice. Creative mastermind Guillaume Trani supplied two assists in a perfect all-round performance for the club.
 
US Hostert made Progrès Niederkorn fight for their money as they equalised once in each half having trailed earlier. However, the Wasps had the last word when striker Junior Burban turned assister after his brace to set up Issa Bah for the winner. Hostert are thus back in the play-off zones, while Progrès are edging closer to the podium.
 
Union Titus Pétange’s dismal form continued as their winless streak was extended to five game, with a drab 1-0 loss to US Mondorf. Mondorf have not lost a game in over two months and are one of the most in-form sides in the competition despite sitting in seventh.
 
Victoria Rosport and Wiltz 71 played out a 1-1 draw in a bottom-half derby. Wiltz have lost a single game since the start of October (besides four wins) but Rosport’s equaliser hurt them deeply, as the gap between the sides still stands at seven points.