Patience was required, but Jeff Strasser and the Red Lions secured their first victory since Strasser took over from Luc Holtz in August 2025, earning the win in Malta. The result leaves Luxembourg in a strong position to maintain its status in their Nations League group.
There was much at stake for the Luxembourg national team against Malta on Thursday evening at the Ta’Qali stadium. The primary objective was to secure their place in League C of the Nations League in this first-leg play-off tie. More broadly, however, the team needed to regain confidence and rediscover the taste of victory after a World Cup qualifying campaign to forget, which featured six defeats and only one goal scored.
Strasser’s men started the match on the right foot. Without posing a real threat – save for a solo run by Aiman Dardari that he lacked the energy to finish – the Red Lions dominated possession and controlled the game for the first half-hour.
It was only natural that they created the first real chance of the match in the 26th minute, with a shot from Vincent Thill shaving the post following a neat double exchange inside the penalty area involving Danel Sinani and Leandro Barreiro.
The Maltese response came two minutes later through Matthew Guillaumier, whose strike was too weak to trouble Anthony Moris.
In the 37th minute, it appeared that an injury to Teddy Teuma would weaken Malta. The Toulon-born player, who plays for Standard Liège, was replaced by Jake Grech.
Against the run of play, however, it was the hosts who looked dangerous towards the end of the first half. Paul Mbong shot wide from a good pass by Irvin Cardona, who was arguably offside in the build-up. Still, it was Cardona who would give the Luxembourgers a scare in stoppage time. He was involved in a double chance before Ilyas Chouaref, played through well by Mbong, forced Laurent Jans into a risky clearance that ended up hitting his own post. It was a minor miracle that the Luxembourgers headed back to the dressing room with the score still goalless.
After the break, the Maltese came close to opening the scoring following a well-worked move, with Paul Mbong miscuing a cross from Ilyas Chouaref in the 46th minute.
Within a minute, however, Luxembourg struck. Vincent Thill got on the end of an excellent cross from Florian Bohnert to make it 1-0.
The goal dealt a psychological blow to the men managed by Italian coach Emilio De Leo. It was not until the 77th minute that Satariano latched onto a headed knock-down from Muscat inside the box, only to put his effort wide.
As was the case at the end of the first half, the Maltese were left with regrets as the second half drew to a close. Moments after coming within a whisker of an equaliser – Trent Buhagiar was inches away from connecting with a Cardona cross in the 89th minute – it was ultimately Luxembourg who drove the final nail into the coffin. And in spectacular fashion: Mathias Olesen scored directly from a corner in the 93rd minute. The final score was 2-0.
Luxembourg’s survival in League C of the Nations League now appears to be a mere formality ahead of the return leg on Tuesday at the Stade de Luxembourg.
