Bitter to Slovakia loss leaves Luxembourg bottom of Group A

The air was filled with excitement in a sold-out Stade de Luxembourg as Jeff Strasser’s Red Lions ran out on the pitch on Sunday to make amends for an opening-day defeat to Northern Ireland at home three days earlier. This time, it was Slovakia coming to town, on the back of a memorable 2-0 victory against Germany to stake an early claim for a World Cup spot.
 
Luxembourg were also hopeful of kicking on after an unlucky scoreline. The team played promisingly last time, with some players especially standing out after being awarded an opportunity (like Aiman Dardari). Sloppy errors and lapses of concentration have plagued their defending, however, leading to avoidable goals and untimely breakdowns.
 
The main culprit on Thursday, centre-back Seid Korać, was guilty of conceding a penalty early on before getting suspended in the second half, shortly before the third and final Northern Irish goal. His replacement in the starting XI was striker Edvin Muratović taking his place.
 
The change created a domino effect in the line-up. Dardari moved to the left wing, having started the previous game up front, Florian Bohnert moved from attack into defence, while Dirk Carlson tucked inside to function as a centre-back instead of his preferred position on the left.
 
A braver approach and a small shake-up of the tactical system caught the guests by surprise early on, as Luxembourg established their dominance in the first half, ending it with a string of opportunities and a superior possession rate.
 
Sustaining the pressure proved an arduous task as the game wore on and Slovakia gained a foothold, but the Red Lions’ patient build-ups and ball progression limited danger at the back and ensured all attacks were played out patiently and without giving up too much space on the counter-attack.
 
Muratović and Danel Sinani were the two main threats in attack, the former having two shots saved by Martin Dúbravka, while the latter hit the post once in each half. In the 90th minute, disaster struck: a costly turnover from captain Laurent Jans and a failed save attempt from Anthony Moris combined for an easy tap-in for Tomás Rigo to seal the game.
 
Despite obvious dominance, more shots, expected goals and possession, Luxembourg are left without the point following the conclusion of the season’s first international break.

Surprise addition fails to become positive hero

Many were surprised to see Korać’s place filled by a centre-forward after the defender’s sending-off against Northern Ireland.
 
The current Luxembourg squad is filled with capable defensive alternatives, with Vahid Selimović playing regularly in Romania, Marvin Martins freshly having joined a Swiss top-flight side, while Eldin Džogović is also a versatile option to deploy at the back.
 
In contrast, both Alessio Curci and Yvandro were initially perceived to be more likely starting options among the forwards than Muratović, whose season in the Polish second division has been hampered by fitness issues early on. It was still him who got the nod from Strasser in the end, pushing Dardari to the wing despite an impressive showing from the central areas last time.
 
The change turned out to be a masterstroke at first: Dardari’s dynamism, athleticism and skill in one-on-one duels benefited him on the left, while Muratović served as a true focal point in Luxembourg attacks, engaging in physical duels and carving out scoring opportunities by fending off challenges from centre-backs.
 
On two occasions, Dúbravka was forced to pull off magnificent saves to deny the striker from scoring. Another time, he was lucky to have saved a shot with his face. But the most fruitful opportunity for Muratović never materialised.
 
Late on in the first half, he seemed to have beaten defender L’ubomir Šatka to a cutback from Dardari, but went to the ground as the two players challenged for the ball. After a brief VAR check, Šatka was adjudged not to have fouled Muratović in one of several controversial calls on the evening.
 
As the state of the game shifted, Muratović’s influence waned in the second half, before he was ultimately substituted for Yvandro. The silky winger has enjoyed an injury-free period in the last few weeks, but his explosiveness and guile on the ball are still a long way from his menacing best. For the second time in a week, he failed to impact the game and tip the scales in Luxembourg’s favour when needed.

Seasoned veterans cost the Red Lions points

When Nicholas Walsh blew the final whistle at the Stade de Luxembourg, the crowd jeered at him in frustration. Away supporters, meanwhile, were rejoiced, safe in the knowledge that the long and exhausting trip was worth it after seeing their favourites achieve a hard-fought win against organised opponents.
 
On the field, the players were dejected. As several of them were consoled by the substitutes and the coaching staff, some players stayed motionless. Captain Jans was shown staring into the abyss several times, without talking to anyone. He was visibly upset and obviously in knowledge of the fact it was his mistake that decided this match in the last minute. Goalkeeper Moris, also arguably at fault, paid no attention as he silently walked past him and down the tunnel.
 
The two long-standing servants have been staples of the national team for over a decade. At 33 years old, Jans is still indispensable to the team and has played all across the defence in the past few years, his leadership crucial to both Luc Holtz and Strasser. Moris temporarily retired from international duty after leaving Europe to play in Saudi Arabia, but has since adjusted his schedule to be fit and available to represent his country at all times. His saves have helped the Red Lions enormously over the years, and made previously unthinkable feats possible.
 
Sunday was not their day. With five interceptions, Jans was often proactive in his approach of stifling Slovakian build-ups, but was easy to be dribbled past, winning only 25% of his ground duels. Moris, on the other hand, had little to do against an opponent whose first threatening shot came in the last minutes of the game. His contribution was largely restricted to safe passes to his centre-backs while attempting to run down the clock.
 
Unfortunately, they both made one mistake too many. As over 8,000 spectators watched the final seconds of regulation time tick down in anticipation, Jans was careless in possession, ceding the ball to L’ubomír Tupta. Moris saved the shot but dropped the ball mid-air, leaving his defence helpless as they watched Rigo sprint towards the ball and roll it in from the rebound.
 
Some fans would have considered a goalless draw disappointing based on the number of chances Luxembourg squandered. A loss, however, was never on the cards until the calamity of the closing moments.
 
Standing up from six points down with four games to go is borderline impossible in itself. This is exacerbated by the fact that the two easiest games, on paper, are behind us: the last four matchdays will see three trips abroad, while Germany will travel to the Grand Duchy in November. Any point here is an overachievement, a feat to be proud of. The top two qualifying places seem all but gone.