Luxembourg's teams navigate first cup challenge flawlessly

While some teams had a feast and came out firing, others had a tricky time and were moments away from being eliminated.

Racing Union Luxembourg and Atert Bissen were two of the biggest winners of the opening round of the domestic cup competition. Both clubs have struggled in the opening weeks of the season, Racing still winless after five games and many missed opportunities.

For clubs in turmoil, a trip to an amateur side in the Luxembourgish Cup is a risky game: a potential defeat can sap confidence even lower and accelerate the negative spiral around the squad, while a statement win could be the first push in the right direction to finally get their season going.

It happened to be the latter for both outfits above, as Racing coasted past third-tier Echternach with a score of 0–7, while Bissen were even more impressive, putting nine goals past a hopeless Noertzange defence.

The highest scorers apart from Bissen will come as no surprise: reigning league and cup winners FC Differdange ran amok against fourth-division Ehlerange, scoring nine times. A further four teams managed to find the net six times each (US Mondorf, Wiltz 71, Bettembourg, and Belval Belvaux).

Others delivered the bare minimum too, but some were made to work overtime for their tickets to the next round. Jeunesse Esch were the only team to require penalties to go through, but Mamer also had to wait until deep into extra time to score what turned out to be a winner against a resilient Jeunesse Gilsdorf side. F91 Dudelange's 3-1 victory against Remich/Bous was also far from inspiring, but it is just what Mika Pinto's team needed to get over the line at the end.

By nature of the draw, the 32 semi-professional sides in the country are all protected from facing each other in the first round. As a result, every amateur side still in the competition will have produced a notable upset to get here. This year, there are three of them: Yellow Boys Weiler narrowly defeated Schifflange, while Koeppchen and Résidence Walferange bowed out at the first stage with two-goal losses against Koerich and Munsbach respectively.

The draw for the Round of 32 will be held shortly, with all of the favourites still in contention. Differdange's chances were certainly boosted by a confident start despite a heavily rotated line-up, but Racing getting off the ground will shake up the dynamics for the remainder of the competition.

All results (divisions in brackets):

(3) Avenir Beggen 2-3 Rumelange (2)
(3) Jeunesse Schieren 0-4 Union Titus Pétange (1)
(3) Union Remich/Bous 1-3 F91 Dudelange (1)
(3) Norden 1-4 Mondercange (2)
(3) Jeunesse Junglinster 2-6 Bettembourg (2)
(4) Noertzange 0-9 Atert Bissen (1)
(3) Syra Mensdorf 0-3 Progrès Niederkorn (1)
(3) Yellow Boys Weiler 3-2 Schifflange '95 (2)
(3) Kopstal 1-1 Berdenia Berbourg (2) – Berdenia Berbourg won on penalties
(3) Koerich 2-0 Koeppchen (2) – after extra time
(4) Ehlerange 0-9 Differdange (1)
(4) Racing Heiderscheid-Eschdorf 0-4 Hostert (1)
(3) Kehlen 2-3 Etzella Ettelbruck (2)
(4) Tricolore Gasperich 0-1 Lorentzweiler (2)
(3) Minerva Lëntgen 0-3 Käerjéng (1)
(3) Schengen 2-4 Luxembourg City (2)
(3) Grevenmacher 0-3 UNA Strassen (1)
(4) Folschette 0-5 Rodange 91 (1)
(3) Sandweiler 2-5 Jeunesse Canach (1)
(4) Moutfort-Medingen 2-3 Victoria Rosport (1)
(4) Les Aiglons Dalheim 2-6 Belval Belvaux (2)
(4) Minière Lasauvage 2-4 Feulen (2)
(3) Sporting Mertzig 2-3 Alisontia Steinsel (2)
(3) Jeunesse Gilsdorf 1-2 Mamer 32 (1) – after extra time
(3) Blo-Wäiss Medernach 1-1 Jeunesse Esch (1) – Jeunesse Esch won on penalties
(4) Olympia Christnach-Waldbillig 2-6 Wiltz 71 (2)
(3) Oberkorn 0-3 Swift Hesperange (1)
(3) Sanem 1-6 Mondorf (1)
(4) Jeunesse Biwer 1-4 Fola Esch (2)
(4) Red Black Luxembourg 2-4 Marisca Mersch (2) – after extra time
(3) Munsbach 3-1 Résidence Walferdange (2)
(3) Echternach 0-7 Racing Union Luxembourg