Atert Bissen have taken the league by storm since their promotion via the Ehrenpromotion play-offs last year. They are challenging for the league title and have been pushing strong in the cup competition as well. There is one thing they are still lacking after all the investment, though: a collective winning mentality.
In contrast, Progrès Niederkorn’s only saving grace for the remainder of the season might just be the unrelenting grit and invaluable experience that have come to define the team for years.
An interesting blend of homegrown talent and local veterans have done well to navigate a turbulent period at the club after an overhaul of the transfer policy at Stade Jos Haupert. Results in the league have faltered, but that was always going to be expected, especially in a year with several surprise contenders for the title.
In the Coupe de Luxembourg, though, it has been a different story altogether. Progrès reached the quarter-finals without conceding a single goal in the competition, eliminating Syra Mensdorf, Jeunesse Esch, and Wiltz 71 along the way. Even when faced with adversity in the league, they always managed to bring their sharpest, most lethal form to knockout matches to overcome any obstacle they had faced.
On Wednesday night, Vivian Reydel's team were not fancied by most fans against a seemingly unstoppable Bissen side featuring top goalscorer Roman Ferber among others.
The Wasps’ underdogs took another hit less than half an hour after kick-off, when goalkeeper Sébastien Flauss signalled to the referee that he wanted to be substituted after a knock that might keep him sidelined for weeks. On came young João Margato, with the score still goalless and a spot in the semi-finals on the line.
The tension was palpable as the sides laboured to half-time, after what was a foul-ridden and generally rather dull first 45 minutes. After the interval, Vítor Pereira attempted to revitalise his team's with Mehdi Terki replacing Eldin Rastoder in midfield, but it was their opponents who were first to switch into gear.
All Progrès needed to seal the game was a short, three-minute span of brilliance with two outstanding goals to show for it. In the 52nd minute, it was attacking midfielder Omar Natami who broke the deadlock with a precise strike. Before Atert could muster a chance to get back into the game, they were struck again: Ibrahim Baradji blasted a devastating effort into the net after an exceptional solo run and a string of dribbles through a helpless Bissen defence.
Unlike Bissen, Niederkorn have been here many times before, and their dominance looked unshakeable as the game wore on. They arrived with a precise game plan and carried it out to the end – it was neither fancy nor superior to their opponents, but it was just what they needed to continue their hopes of European qualification.
Atert Bissen threatened several times in the second half, and it finally bore fruit in the 80th minute, when an own goal from Alex Guett Guett gave the newcomers hope of salvaging the match and taking it to extra time. Progrès’ defence held on nonetheless. For the five-time cup winners, a semi-final against Victoria Rosport awaits.
After successfully attaining a continental license for next season, Niederkorn now has to try and achieve a qualification place on the field. And the only way they can get there, for now, is by winning silverware.
After securing the domestic double last year and dominating the league the season before, FC Differdange are expected to face tougher challenges this season. Having already had to change managers during the current campaign and with their closest contenders breathing down their next every week, the title holders are, for once, put under constant pressure.
Their cup run has been a microcosm of their difficulties. After coasting past amateurs Ehlerange in the autumn, they survived a near scare against Union Titus Pétange in the round of 32, before facing a dangerous UNA Strassen side in the following game. Stefano Bensi’s team took the champions to extra time, where a whopping five goals in 30 minutes narrowly tipped the scales in FCD’s favour.
In comparison, Racing Union Luxembourg were tipped to represent a slightly easier task in the quarter-finals, for all their tactical discipline and youthful exuberance. Yannick Kakoko, who started the season in the capital, was now facing his old foes with a career-first trophy on the line.
Despite the match-up initially looking like a clash between two reasonably successful teams in the competition, the game left a lot to be desired in terms of excitement. Racing defended deep and tried to stifle Differdange’s momentum, visibly wary of the opponents’ blistering counter-attacks.
The guests tried to stop FCD’s attacks by any means possible, with two of their centre-backs earning yellow cards in the first 50 minutes. The second proved to be a fatal mistake: Carmel Mabanza's foul resulted in a penalty, converted by Samir Hadji to put Differdange in front and force Racing to come out of their shell and take the game to their frighteningly consistent opponents.
In doing so, the Sky Blues did create opportunities, but the technical gap between the two sets of players was obvious. Differdange's makeshift defence repelled any spark of threat for the remainder of the game, and before RFCUL could go all-in in their desperate attempts to find an equaliser, Rafa Pinto put the final nail in their coffin with a shrewd move from over 30 yards out, tricking goalkeeper Romain Ruffier.
Over the last few years, Differdange have become one of, if not the most supported club in the Grand Duchy. A steady stream of trophies have certainly helped them gain more recognition, but a European group stage has eluded them so far. And after a season that has perhaps disappointed, following two of the most dominating campaigns in Luxembourgish football history, we may yet witness Kakoko's men accomplish that milestone this summer.
The Racing game showed what the current iteration of FCD is strongest at: crossing the finish line and slowly wearing down every opponent even when the players aren’t exactly flourishing. In the semi-final, Rodange 91 await.
Rodange have reached their first-ever Luxembourgish Cup semi-final after narrowly defeating Fola Esch. Fola have been fighting for promotion from the Ehrenpromotion and headed into the quarter-final in impressive form. While they dominated large spells of the game on Wednesday, they ultimately came up short. A first-half strike by Mario Muzhaqi was the only goal of the game and it now presents Rodange with a historic opportunity.
Victoria Rosport also faced a lower-division opponent in US Feulen, who have surprised many in the second tier, and had a legitimate chance to cause an upset this time around. Experienced defender Gautier Bernardelli scored in the last minute but it was too little too late, with Feulen trailing by two goals by stoppage time. Rosport last played a cup final in 2008 and will now have to defeat Niederkorn to make an appearance at Stade de Luxembourg.
BGL Ligue returns this weekend, with eight matches kicking off on Sunday. Five teams (Differdange, F91 Dudelange, Atert Bissen, UNA Strassen and US Mondorf) are still all fighting for the championship, while the relegation scrap has been heating up lately, thanks to Rodange and Union Titus Pétange gaining momentum at just the right time.
Coupe de Luxembourg will return on Wednesday 13 May, with two one-legged semi-finals before the showpiece occasion in the national stadium.
