The top four teams after 15 matchdays are now only separated by four points, after Differdange drew, once again, in Käerjéng, while Atert Bissen and F91 Dudelange have caught up with respective wins.
The last time a championship battle involved four teams this close to each other was in 2006/07, when F91 and Differdange were joined by Grevenmacher and Racing Union Luxembourg. Last year, for comparison, FCD’s lead at the top was seven points and they never dropped off, strolling to a second consecutive league title.
It looked like a similar scenario throughout most of this year, too, with Differdange remaining the sole unbeaten team in the division until two weeks ago. Since then, the situation turned has flipped: they are now chasing a first win in five games, newcomers Bissen continue to turn heads and Dudelange have now collected an impressive scalp by dismantling third-placed UNA Strassen 4-1 last Sunday.
Pedro Silva’s reigning champions know how to emerge victorious without having the deadliest attacks, often turning to their impenetrable defence and their iconic goalkeeper Felipe to get them out of tricky situations in the past, but a number of circumstances are now preventing them from keeping quite as many clean sheets as before.
Own goals have been a recurring issue. Fatigue, shaky form, and professional career commitments have influenced the line-ups before, shaking up the usual trio of Juan Bedouret, Théo Brusco, and Kévin d’Anzico.
UNA Strassen and Atert Bissen, meanwhile, stay on the lookout. Strassen’s ambitions of a title have been well-documented, and while this year may be a little too soon for their project to culminate, they seem ready to pounce on any shortcomings from their rivals. Bissen, on the other hand, strengthened really well after gaining two successive promotions in the past two seasons, but nobody expected them to weather the storm nearly as bravely as they have.
Compared to the three podium teams at the moment, Dudelange have been the most inconsistent team out of the title challengers so far. Starting their season with the embarrassment of losing to Andorran side Atlétic Escaldes in Europe, which left a mark on their domestic campaign in the first few weeks. Now, they are back in their groove, scoring more freely than anyone else in Luxembourg and being at their best when up against the biggest powerhouses in the country.
Another thing in F91’s favour – alongside Differdange – is that while individual performances can help a team overperform over an entire season, but titles are always won by the most cohesive, consistent team. In the cases of Atert and UNA, one or two individuals can make or break the team’s season. Without the remarkable Matheus-Nicolas Perez partnership, Stefano Bensi’s squad would struggle to score against most teams.
Likewise, Atert Bissen losing some of their standout performers (such as Roman Ferber, Khalid Abi Ramzi, or Yassine Gourari) could prove fatal for their title bid. Everyone now has one month to recharge before the January transfer window opens. The top four sides are certainly ready to fight for the top spot. Their goal now is to retain all their valued assets.
After a dismal start to their season, UN Käerjéng are now on course to stay up without a relegation play-off, following three wins and two draws in their five latest matches.
It was always an uphill battle for UNK in the BGL Ligue after grinding out promotion from the Éierepromotioun and spending relatively little on reinforcements, sticking to the winning formula. After one win in ten games, they were rooted to the bottom of the table, like many expected in the summer.
Led by Abou Dieye, Valerio Barbaro, and Yannis Bellali, the Bascharage outfit now look revitalised. 12 goals in five games have taken them far away from the relegation scrap, but the most resounding success of that run came last time out on Sunday.
A 1-1 draw against leaders Differdange was a scoreline few saw coming. Contrary to their wins over fellow strugglers in the past, this performance was built on a disciplined team shape and waiting patiently for their moments to attack instead of going overboard offensively. Käerjéng recognised early on that they may well have to settle for one point, and adjusted their game plan accordingly.
However, it would be foolish to denounce UNK’s approach as defensive. They carved out opportunities against a lacklustre opponent who seemed a shadow of their best selves, and allowed the hosts to take control of the game. It was only due to the individual qualities separating the two teams that Differdange went into half-time with a narrow lead, thanks to an exquisite finish from Artur Abreu slightly against the run of play.
Ironically, the equaliser on the hour mark was something of a fluke: after another inaccurate cross, Differdange captain Geoffrey Franzoni tried to make a desperate clearance but hit Isidore Mabwati instead, the ball bouncing into the net from his foot. Right place at the right time, in many ways: it was perhaps a good time to play an FCD side growing wearier with each passing fixture throughout December.
This outcome suited Käerjéng perfectly. They are sitting in 11th place, outside of the bottom five, playing eye-catching, brave, attacking football along the way. Manager David Vandenbroeck has suffered in his last months at Wiltz 71, but was always regarded as a talented manager. If he keeps this UNK side up, it will only be his latest masterstroke.
Jeunesse Esch’s experienced full-back Emmanuel Lapierre has made his last appearance on a football pitch, as he has announced his retirement at the end of 2025.
The Frenchman was born in Rouen, but started his senior career at CS Sedan, without ever breaking into the first team. Rapid Mansfeldia Hamm Benfica (now Luxembourg City) was his first destination in the Grand Duchy. He spent three seasons in the capital, during a turbulent period: he oversaw one relegation and a subsequent promotion, contributing to 13 goals in 68 matches.
He caught Jeunesse’s eye in 2016, when the club were still regulars at European qualifiers. Over his ten years playing by the border, he was involved in a total of six Europa League preliminaries, but never made a group stage in his career. He was a backbone of his team’s defence at the domestic level, being one of the most versatile squad options. He was equally capable of playing on both sides of the backline, but was also comfortable playing further forward, as a winger.
His most successful season was 2017/18, when he scored two goals and assisted a further four in 25 appearances across all competitions. He continued to be a reliable presence for years to come, filling in as a makeshift centre-back or midfielder on occasion. His best-ever result was a third-place finish in 2019.
In 2025/26, he made nine league appearances and also featured in the Luxembourgish Cup. His last game was a 2-0 victory in Niederkorn, where he played 70 minutes. Lapierre retired at the age of 32.
Jeunesse Esch will end 2025 above recent opponents Progrès Niederkorn after a deserved 2-0 victory on Saturday. Reinhold Breu’s young team continues to be one of the most tactically coherent in the division, and have now outmuscled Niederkorn despite being slight underdogs. Almir Klica opened the scoring after causing havoc in defence, before Tim Flick decided the three points with a sublime finish from a tight angle.
Victoria Rosport were about to enjoy a fine ending to their year against Swift Hesperange after surging 2-0 up at home. In the end, both sides remain winless for seven consecutive matches now, after Hesper did well to rescue a point. Rosport’s overly defensive approach after gaining a lead backfired in the end, as Mamadou Kaloga’s beautiful bicycle kick and Hereba Savane’s last-gasp equaliser settled the scores.
One of the most entertaining matches of Matchday 15 surprisingly ended in a goalless draw, as Racing Union Luxembourg and US Hostert failed to find the net thanks to a pair of superb goalkeeping displays. Both teams now remain in the bottom half until February at least: Hostert in the relegation play-offs, the Sky Blues only three points above them.
Rodange 91 celebrated a win at long last, in a must-win match against Mamer 32. Sitting at rock bottom and swaying further away from survival, Mamer needed the three points desperately to overtake Rodange, but did little to achieve their goal. Mathéo Messuwe’s opener was followed in stoppage time by a Kévin Schur penalty, by which time the outcome was all but confirmed.
Atert Bissen made another spectacular comeback to stay in the title race. Having fallen behind against fellow newcomers Jeunesse Canach, it looked like Vítor Pereira’s team would suffer a first defeat since August. Cue Roman Ferber, who scored his ninth goal in ten games from a volley. Joel Rodrigues da Cruz then put the cherry on top, scoring his second goal upon his return from injury after a scramble in the box.
The crisis is deepening around Union Titus Pétange, where investor/chairperson/manager Ado Kojo has to find a quick solution to his team’s spiralling problems. The Whites are now in a direct relegation spot despite an influx of foreign talent in the last days of the transfer window. Their latest defeat was a 0-3 against US Mondorf, who are only four points off Dudelange and look primed to hold onto a top-five spot.
