The Luxembourgish National Division saw a goalkeeper, Koray Özcan, get on the scoresheet for the first time since 2020, via a dramatic last-gasp equaliser in Hostert.
Stefano Bensi’s UNA Strassen started on the back foot against bottom-half US Hostert, conceding twice in the opening seven minutes. Defender Rayed Derbali scored his first two goals in the country in quick succession, putting Strassen’s resilience to the test early on.
Hostert’s lead was deserved for most of the game, and the team are generally in good form, looking a lot less reliant on top-scorer Kenan Avdusinović than in the first half of the season since the February restart.
Denis Schütte’s consolation goal gave Strassen a lifeline in the first half stoppage time, and set the scene for a thoroughly enjoyable, fast-paced second half. Errors prevented both teams from scoring, but Strassen’s dominance and overly attacking approach regularly allowed Hostert to try and punish them on the counter, leading to a second half packed with highlights.
The sucker punch only came in the fifth minute of added time, when a corner was first headed out by the USH defence. The ball fell to Strassen goalkeeper Koray Özcan, whose last-ditch attempt for an equaliser was successful as his half-volley cannoned into the net off the crossbar.
Therefore, Özcan became the first goalkeeper to score a goal in the BGL Ligue since Michel Witte did so in an Etzella Ettelbrück shirt, on 23 September, 2020.
The valuable draw keeps Strassen in fourth place and firmly in the race for the European qualification places, while Hostert remains safely above the relegation zone despite two dropped points here.
Niederkorn’s imbalance continues to hurt them
The most eagerly anticipated derby of the last match week was the clash between leaders Differdange and perennial challengers Progrès Niederkorn. The two sides headed into the game in vastly different recent forms, with Differdange’s three wins out of three making them clear favourites over the struggling Wasps (four points in three games).
Progrès’s line-up resembled the ones from the previous games, with a visible overload of defensive-minded players. Natural centre-backs Metin Karayer and Vincent Peugnet were joined by traditional full-backs Léo Jousselin, Cédric Sacras, and Clayton Duarte, while the starting XI also featured experienced defensive all-rounder Lars Gerson and holding midfielder Chris Lybohy.
This left three creative attacking players trusted with providing that decisive spark in the opponents’ half – as has been the case since winger Issa Bah’s departure to Serbia in February.
This emphasis on a solid backbone and cautious approach could have proven fruitful against the country’s most dangerous attack and could be forgiven for any other team in the division considering FCD’s commanding form during the season.
However, Niederkorn’s overly defensive formations have been a recurring theme for the last month and have repeatedly proven ineffective. Putting less technical and versatile players in a more creative, complex role could allow for greater tactical flexibility in theory, but is painfully toothless in practice.
The three attackers (Omar Natami, Junior Burban, and Antonie Mazure) failed to carry the attacking burden, and even the reinforcements of Vincent Boesen, Ken Corral, and Jonathan Schmid in the second half proved too little too late.
Guillaume Trani’s masterful goal and an André Mendy tap-in helped Differdange glide past one of their biggest rivals with ease. Their advantage at the top now stands at ten points, with 17 wins in their 19 games so far.
Such a behemoth has long been unheard of in Luxembourg and a defeat against them won’t prompt drastic changes from any opponent. But Jeff Strasser and his staff have ignored some glaring issues about team selection for too long, and maybe the time has come for a redistribution of starting places next time they are in action in Rodange.
Can Mondercange actually survive?
Upon glancing at the table before the long winter break began in early December, there were a few surprises: Fola Esch and Mondercange are usually towards the back end of the table throughout the season, while Rodange and Bettembourg have struggled to adapt to life after promotion from the second division in 2024.
Another conclusion we could have reached was that the race for survival would only get tighter: Fola have built a reputation for magical yearly renaissances every spring, while promoted sides often find the necessary strength and experience in the winter transfer market to give themselves a stronger chance of survival. Thus, the only club that seemed destined for failure was Mondercange.
Another quick look at the standings reveals an entirely different picture: FCM have gathered as many points in their last four games (four) as they did across their first 15 outings combined. They have overtaken Fola and are in ninth place in the form table.
Head coach Marc Depienne is still only 33 years old, and has been through an intense rollercoaster ride with FCM, but he has remained loyal to the club since his childhood, first as an amateur goalkeeper, later an interim manager without a real chance to stay permanently, and now as a last-ditch firefighter as the club needed amid their dire situation in November.
His enthusiasm and work ethic is finally paying off. This young, revitalised squad evidently needed time to gel, but all of their performances in the spring have given reasons for optimism.
Holding 2023 champions Swift Hesperange to a 0-0 draw was impressive despite their opponents’ recent turmoil off the pitch. The following game brought an early 2-0 lead against Hostert, before a second-half meltdown resulted in a final 4-2 loss, though the improvements were clear for all to see.
The win that had eluded them this year finally arrived against Jeunesse Esch. Thomas Robert, arguably the team’s most prolific player of the season, scored the only goal of the game in the opening stages, but captain Teddy da Silva’s efforts in goal cannot be overstated.
Automatic survival is still 12 points away, and even the play-off spots are five points above them, but Mondercange’s current trajectory has the potential to condemn Fola to certain relegation and send shockwaves through a struggling Bettembourg team peeking above their shoulders.
Around the pitches
Swift Hesper took revenge on their inexplicable 3-0 loss to Bettembourg in the autumn via a 1-0 victory. The winning goal was scored by Dominik Stolz, who continues to be influential to the team despite rumours that his departure from Holleschbierg is imminent. Several sources mention Racing FCUL and UNA Strassen as destinations, coincidentally Hesper’s biggest rivals for the podium this year.
Samir Hadji proved decisive for F91 Dudelange once again. His team were drawing to Wiltz 71 three minutes before the end, but an assist and a goal from the Moroccan striker sealed the three points for F91. Hadji’s goal came after exploiting a terrible mistake by Ralph Schon, who returned to the team after a suspension, but can soon see his place in the starting line-up in jeopardy.
Fans at the Stade Émile Mayrisch saw their afternoon ruined by a three-goal Racing Luxembourg lead in the opening 16 minutes. António Pina Gomes’ opener was followed up by a brace from Yann Mabella, but the expected demolition job didn’t materialise, as the score stayed 3-0 for the rest of the game. Fola dropped to rock bottom in the table after the loss, while Racing are joint-fourth.
An early red card from centre-back Costinha might have cost Mondorf a win against Rodange. Malek Amdouni took the lead only two minutes after the reckless foul, and it took until the closing minutes of the game for Mohamed Khairane’s equaliser. Rodange can still appreciate the draw in their battle for survival, while Mondorf’s mid-table place isn’t in danger despite the setback.
Union Titus Pétange have one of the best defences in the country so far, albeit their moderate attacking output means they have been rooted in the bottom half of the standings for most of the season. Another 0-0 draw duly confirmed both characteristics, this time against Victoria Rosport. UTP remain unbeaten under new manager Akil Momade, while Rosport are now on a three-game unbeaten run.
