Thanks in particular to a very good Anthony Moris, author of three parades in the second period, Luxembourg won a draw (0-0) in Slovakia, this Thursday at the start of the Euro-2024 qualifiers.
A good point to start with. While Portugal easily had the modest Liechtenstein (4-0), with in particular a double from Cristiano Ronaldo, and that Bosnia stuck three to Iceland (3-0), Luxembourg held firm this Thursday in Trnava, in Slovakia, from where he left with a point which allows him to take 3rd place in group J of the Euro-2024 qualifiers at the end of the first day.
Sterile Slovakia
Quite dominating and enterprising in the first quarter of an hour, without getting a clear chance, Luc Holtz’s men, laid out in a 4-2-3-1 formation with Olesen placed in support of Gerson Rodrigues, then had little to little ceded the ball to the Slovaks. But the latter, if they obtained several corners, mainly reported distant attempts missed, works of Polievka (16th), Suslov (23rd) or Duda (37th).
Fortunately all the same, for Roud Léiwen well in place, that Barreiro returned to Suslov, about to eliminate Moris (25th), or that Polievka did not spike his head enough at the far post (27th). Endangered in stride by Gerson Rodrigues, who caught a cold before seeing his forceful strike from the left repelled by Dubravka (28th), Slovakia intensified their threat on the return from the locker room, where they continued to monopolize leather.
Gerson Rodrigues misses the heist
But she then fell on a great Anthony Moris, who lay well on his right to deflect a free kick from Duda (50th), and was above all the author of a reflex save on his left on this header at close range from Polievka (58′), before deflecting with fingertips a shot from a tight angle from Bozenik hit by a Luxembourger (82′).
By preserving the 0-0, the doorman of Roud Léiwen thus maintained the hope of a small hold-up. In vain: Gerson Rodrigues, who had opened his way to the goal, completely unscrewed his shot from outside the right, not necessarily the best choice (72nd), and Mr. Obrenovic, the Slovenian referee of the game, whistled the end of the debates before the last Luxembourg corner of the game was struck…
Simon Butel