Luxembourg officially out of World Cup reckoning

Improvements from the last game were clear for all to see, but yet again, Luxembourg fell short. On Monday night in Trnava, Jeff Strasser’s team had to cope with the absence of Dirk Carlson through suspension, while potential game-changer Danel Sinani was back in the line-up after sitting out the 4-0 loss in Germany on Friday.

Therefore, the coaching staff’s hands were tied regarding squad selection, prompting a slight tweak to a more attacking formation and approach. Tomás Moreira lost his place in the starting XI to out-and-out striker Edvin Muratović, while Aiman Dardari and Danel Sinani played on the wings this time, ahead of the strongest possible midfield trio the country can offer in Christopher Martins, Leandro Barreiro, and Mathias Olesen.

The changes culminated in a braver, more offensive style of play, too. Several chances presented themselves in the first half, arguably the biggest one squandered by Dardari in a rare one-on-one situation in the 13th minute. The young Augsburg forward did well to get in behind the defence, but after controlling a perfectly weighted pass, he fired wide.

Several smaller opportunities beckoned in the remainder of the first period, with Sinani having a shot blocked and Dardari having another effort saved shortly after his initial attempt. The hosts also threatened Anthony Moris’ goal a number of times, but without any tangible breakthrough.

Luxembourg’s undoing proved to be the same as it was against Germany on Friday. For the second consecutive game, the opponents’ first goal came from a set piece. In the 55th minute, Ondrej Duda’s perfectly executed ground pass from a corner found the unmarked Adam Obert, who rushed into the box and escaped the defenders’ attention, before calmly slotting home (after a mild deflection off Barreiro).

Set pieces have long been a sensitive subject regarding Luxembourg’s play – relatively few goals have come from it on the attacking end, while the defensive structure continues to be leaky. The shortcomings have perhaps never been as glaring as here, as Obert was free to pick up a ball inside the box unmarked, and shoot into the net through a clustered penalty area.

Strasser’s reaction to falling behind was a double substitution. Edvin Muratović, unremarkable and sloppy for several consecutive games, was hooked for Alessio Curci, while Olivier Thill replaced Olesen in midfield for more creative impetus in the middle of the park. Despite both players having enjoyed impressive starts to the season for their respective clubs, they failed to make a difference here. Thill was restricted to two speculative efforts on goal, while Curci found himself just as isolated up front as Muratović had.

The rest of the game still had in store one of the most effective cameos in footballing history. Slovakia brought on attacker Ivan Schranz with 20 minutes to go, who went on to produce two touches and one goal in four minutes, before abruptly injuring himself during the celebrations. Four minutes after his introduction, he bid farewell to a raucous and jubilant Trnava crowd.

While Schranz did well to leave a mark despite spending very limited time on the pitch, his goal perfectly encapsulated the still-too-frequent collective meltdowns the Red Lions have so often been plagued by. All the defenders were too slow to track Lukas Harašlín’s run, who found Schranz, once again unmarked, on the edge of the six-yard box. The cherry on top was Moris, perfectly positioned, parrying the ball into his own net to deepen Luxembourg’s troubles.

Another two substitutions followed in the closing stages as Sébastien Thill and Vahid Selimović were counted upon to control the damage, but the clock slowly ticked down as Luxembourg limped to a fourth consecutive defeat, extending their winless streak to seven games (since a 1-0 win against Sweden in March).

The defeat also ensured that Luxembourg no longer have a chance to qualify for the World Cup to be held across North America next summer. Finishing in the top two places of the qualifying group was never a reality, but with zero points in four games, it is back to the drawing board for Jeff Strasser and his staff.

Unavailability has been a problem in this qualification cycle. Christopher Martins returned after an injury, Sinani, Carlson, and Seid Korać had to miss games through suspension, Yvandro was called up for the camp but headed home due to muscle problems. Gerson Rodrigues is indefinitely excluded from international football, Brian Madjo chose to represent England at youth level instead, while Mica Pinto cannot be called up until he finds himself a new club.

Luxembourg have been extremely unlucky with their absentees. And while injuries and suspensions aren’t unheard of in any national team, the already limited player pool means Strasser often had to face bigger selection headaches than some of his colleagues. Positives can be taken from the two Slovakia games in terms of chance creation and link-up play, but it will be impossible to break the glass ceiling without the firepower.

The November international window will now feature two dead rubbers – in the Grand Duchy against Germany, and an away day in Belfast – offering the perfect opportunity to test out new systems and invite a few new faces to help promising youngsters adapt to the atmosphere and nature of a senior Luxembourg camp.

After all, the biggest test awaiting the Red Lions for now remains the March 2026 international break – a double-header against Malta to retain Luxembourg’s UEFA Nations League Division C spot.