FC Déiferdeng 03 — Marisca Mersch (26-05-2023)

We arrive late to Luxembourg City, because of traffic jams in Belgium, minimal parking possibilities around the stadium (see below), and a very slow ticket office. In the end, we get a “ticket” for EUR 25 (they print out the same page you would get when you order online) and enter the stadium a few minutes after kick off.

The Stade de Luxembourg is truly brand new. It was opened in 2021 and has a capacity of 9,386 for sporting events. Unfortunately, neither the parking deck nor the tram stop are ready yet, which makes it very hard to find parking.

The Luxembourg Cup Final is between one of the biggest team in Luxembourg, FC Déiferdeng 03, and a team I had never heard of before, Marisca Mersch, who play in the second division (Éirepromotioun) but have just achieved promotion to the first division (Nationaldivisioun) for the first time in their 115 year existence. The official attendance for the game is 8.385 but I think there are 6,500 people at best.

The vast majority of the fans are supporting Déiferdeng 03, but there is a significant contingent of Marisca Mersch fans too (I guestiumate some 20 percent of all people). The atmosphere is good, particularly for a soccer game in Luxembourg.

In the first 15 minutes Déiferdeng is dominant and gets a huge chance, but the striker shoots wide when going alone at the goalkeeper. Mersch has a few attacks and a cross is inches away from the striker who cannot head it in.

In the 30th minute, a cross from the left is missed by one Déiferdeng player (kicks over the ball) but hit by another one behind him: 1-0. Some ten minutes later the Déiferdeng goalie makes a huge mistake and the Mersch striker shoots from the side but a defender saves the ball before it can go in.

In the 42nd minute Déiferdeng puts a corner at the top of the penalty box and a player strikes from 16 meter straight into the goal: 2-0. This is also the half time score. Although Mersch worked hard, and was certainly not much weaker, Déiferdeng always looked the stronger one.

Déiferdeng remains fairly easily in the lead in the second half, wasting some (could-be) possibilities to extend its lead, as Mersch has even less of the game. In the 65th minute, out of nowhere, a Mersch player goes around 2 guys and shoots: 2-1. Game on!

However, the dream is soon over. In the 71st minute a fairly classic attack over left is pulled back and the striker easily places it in the far corner: 3-1. However, three minutes later, a Déiferdeng defender is sleeping and a Mersch striker literally walks the ball of his foot within the penalty box but then misses in front of the goalie. Still five minutes later a Mersch free kick from 25 meters, on the right, is headed through, then headed at the goal and tipped in: 3-2 — a remarkable goal. But in the 1st minute of overtime, a Mersch defender totally misjudges a pass and then fails to run with the other striker who finishes an easy cross: 4-2. Remarkably, this is the second goal in a row that is scored by a substitute who is on the pitch for less than a minute!

A few minutes the game is over and the Mersch players are truly destroyed, as the Déiferdeng players celebrate. The cruelty of sport. Sure, Déiferdeng were better but the difference was not as big as the you would expect from a game between teams that have a divisions between them.

All in all, this was an entertaining game with a lot of atmosphere and goals. The level of play wasn’t too high, but Mersch had heart. The Stade de Luxembourg is pretty unremarkable in design and atmosphere, particularly for such a new stadium, but probably has the right size for the country. And it looks quite nice in the evening.