It has now been three full gameweeks of action in the National Division, but some of the biggest clubs still need time to figure out their strongest line-up for the return fixtures.
Swift Hesperange are still unbeaten under new manager Hakim Menaï since the resignation of Emmanuel da Costa, but a second consecutive draw will surely leave their fan base disappointed.
There were improvements after a lacklustre goalless draw against rock-bottom Mondercange, but a 3-3 at the Stade de la Frontière leaves critics wondering if the team can revitalise themselves after their turbulent winter break.
The lack of new arrivals and several high-profile departures left the squad generally well-skilled but painfully imbalanced. Besides the usual starters, the bench is often completely made up of youngsters with little to no experience in senior football. Not being able to change the course of a match with some aptly timed substitutions would hurt any team's chances of winning, but especially one where players and staff are still awaiting unpaid wages.
While the club remain in turmoil, their shot at Europe remains purely theoretical, as even their current third-place finish would count for nothing if UEFA, European football's governing body, decided against granting them the license. With Hesper under transfer embargo for the next 18 months, their situation is looking bleak.
This time, it was youngster Lucas Correia, winger Florian David, and second-half substitute Ambroise Gboho who capitalised on Jeunesse's defensive shortcomings. They are all proven players, but none of them could carry the burden on their own in the event of an injury or suspension. In the meantime, Menaï can only trust his defence – which proved to be too leaky yet again…
Bittersweet debut for Gerson
One of the biggest news of the winter transfer window was arguably Progrès Niederkorn’s acquisition of 97-cap Luxembourg international Lars Gerson. The versatile player arrives from Scandinavia, where he had spent the majority of his professional career since 2007, and can be used either as a central defender or a defensive midfielder.
His last club game in Norway was on 1 December 2024, meaning a period of acclimatisation was expected for the 35-year-old, who originally grew up playing for Bettembourg's youth teams but never made it to the seniors.
His long-awaited BGL Ligue debut, though, was disappointing. Niederkorn have visibly failed to adapt to the loss of dangerous winger Issa Bah, who departed for Serbia in the winter. Their previous three games yielded two goals, and it was in the 82nd minute of a drab 0-0 in Rosport that Gerson was finally called upon.
The defender did his job and played his part in the closing stages, but it never looked like the Wasps could have enough to overcome a disciplined Victoria Rosport side always defending with five men at the back.
Gerson's stint in Luxembourg will obviously not be judged on the next few matches he plays at his current destination, but some signs suggest he could have picked a better time to appear for Jeff Strasser's side. And who knows, if his half-season doesn't go to plan, maybe he will make his Bettembourg debut soon…
André Mendy makes FCD fans forget Jorginho
Despite a comfortable seven-point advantage at the top of the table before the winter break, Differdange's board refused to talk down the reality of a title race.
And this time, it was not purely out of diplomacy and politeness: having sold star striker and top scorer Jorginho to Kazakh outfit Kairat Almaty, they needed to get the replacement spot on in order to keep all guns blazing.
With the arrival of André Mendy, they originally intended to create competition for the existing choices in attack, namely Adham El Idrissi and Andreas Buch. However, it quickly became clear that Mendy would be favoured from the start and could realistically replace Jorginho in the long term if he keeps his consistency.
On his second game, he scored one of the most crucial goals in his team's season by deciding the derby against F91 Dudelange, increasing the gap between the top two to 10 points. A week later, he followed it up by a stunning brace against Mondorf, first from a Juan Bedouret assist before getting the job done himself from a penalty kick.
Fellow new signing Fede Varela also made his first start for the team, after arriving from the United States with a journeyman CV including stints in Portugal, Spain, and Türkiye. His contribution was limited for now, but being given the nod over the team's creative engine, Guillaume Trani, suggests there is plenty of potential to be uncovered in Varela's game.
Around the pitches
UNA Strassen won their top-half derby against Racing Luxembourg in a nervy encounter between two sides who had recently found it hard to get going. It is Racing's third 1-0 loss in a row, which leaves them joint fifth in the table. Strassen, meanwhile, are in a provisional UEFA Conference League spot for now.
In Ralph Schon's absence, Youn Czekanowicz did a steady job in Wiltz's 4-1 home win against Fola Esch, only conceding from a late penalty. Benjamin Romeyns and Gustavo scored a double each, while Nawfel Saïdi produced two assists before Ramiz Kalici's late consolation goal.
F91 Dudelange are back to winning ways, beating Rodange away from home thanks to a hat-trick from Samir Hadji. Both sides have been impressive since the winter break, but F91's superiority on a team level made them clear favourites on Sunday and helped them retain their second place.
Bottom-placed Mondercange stormed to an early 2-0 lead against US Hostert, before an own goal made it 2-1 shortly before half-time. A sensational comeback then followed and USH ended up taking home the three points with two late goals, even without the league's top marksman, Kenan Avdusinović, getting on the score sheet.
Union Titus Pétange came from behind to beat a nine-man Bettembourg team decimated by Hearvin Djetou's second yellow card and Romário's instant red. Union's new attacker Oscar Faulds is proving to be a super-sub so far, coming on from the bench and scoring for the second time this month.
