Luxembourg vs Bosnia: Can Luxembourg Make Up Their Poor Start?

Luxembourg’s path to the European Championship qualifiers has been a thrilling ride. They ended with a draw (0 – 0) with Bosnia and Herzegovina and ended with a heavy loss 6-0 against Luxembourg. Luc Holtz's team then found form, winning three consecutive games: Liechtenstein lost 2-0 to them, but won 2-0 in Bosnia-Herzegovina, as well as beat Iceland 3-1.

However, they were stopped in their tracks by a devastating 9-0 defeat at the hands of Portugal. In their second match, they drew with Iceland by one goal through Gerson Rodrigues.

They lost 0-1 in their last match against Slovakia. Rodrigues played six shots for Luxembourg holding 52% possession and 15 shots against Slovakia eight.

Bosnia-Herzegovina has witnessed some successes and failures during the campaign in the European Championship qualifiers. Iceland could not match the three zero victory they started with. However, this victory was short lived as Faruk Hadzibegic’s team lost the next three matches without having scored causing them to fire Meho Kodro.

The victory of Bosnia-Herzegovina over Portugal on a 2-1 basis during Kodro’s leadership was a great achievement. However, it was followed by a reverse whereby they suffered 1-0 defeat in Iceland. His stay in office could simply be described as short-lived as he got replaced by Savo Milosevic.

His reign started well when he beat Liechtenstein 2-0. However, he received a severe lesson in his next game which was a 5-0 loss to Portugal in which his side shipped all five points during the first half. As such, this tumultuous journey is representative of the tribulations and transitions the team experienced whilst in qualifiers.

Let’s take a look at today’s highlights:

First-half begins!!!

• In the 5th minute, there was a free kick to Christopher Martins from Luxembourg on the right flank. Luxembourg’s Mathias Oleon made one, which resulted in a 1-0 goal advantage against Bosnia and Herzegovina. Florian Bohnert provided a cross and he made a header from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner.
• Said Hamulic from Bosnia & Herzegovina tried to make a header after it was in the center of the penalty box in the 13th minute, but it was blocked. A cross set up by Miroslav Stevanovic.
• Martins Christophore from Luxembourg got a yellow card at the 23rd minute for unfair foul.
• On the twenty-fifth minute, Amir from Bosnia and Herzegovina fouled and had been sentenced as penalty. Yellow card was awarded to Amir Hadziahmetovic from Bosnia and Herzegovina due to his unsportsmanlike behaviour.
• Bosnia and Herzegovina received the first warning of the match in the 27th minute by the referee to Gojko Cimirot.
• Gerson Rodrigues from Luxembourg increased the tally at 39 minutes to 2-0 against Bosnia and Herzegovina. He kicked a penalty to the right of the goal for a straight-on attempt that ended up in the high center of the goal.
• Amar Dedic from Bosnia and Herzegovina tried a right-footed shot from outside the box at the 33th minute but it missed to the left side. It was the shot after a corner, headed by Rade Krunic.
• The 35th minute saw Christopher Martins from Luxembourg try, albeit a high and wide attempt, to the left. An assist by Gerson Rodrigues (cross corner).
• In the 45+3 minute, Renato Gojkovic was booked for a terrible foul.
• The 45+5 minute saw a foul committed by Rade Krunic from Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Second-half begins!!!

• In that particular minute, in about the 47th minute, Mathias Olesen from that particular nation, i.e, Luxembourg, made a left-footed shot which however, was saved in that particular goal region i.e., top center. With cross, Gerson Rodrigues assisted.
• The penalty was awarded during the 51st minute when Haris Hajradinovic fouled Bosnia and Herzegovina.
• However, in the 54th minute, Nihad Mujakic scored an own goal for Bosnia and Herzegovina that brought the result to Luxembourg 3, Bosnia and Herzegovina 0.
• The 58th minute saw Haris Tabakovic from Bosnia and Herzegovina make a foul.
• Enes Mahmutovic yellow card in a foul play was awarded at 60th minute for Luxembourg.
• Luxembourg’s 63rd minute substitution was to field Lars Gerson for Maxime Chanot.
• Florian Bohnert of Luxembourg was penalized in the 65th minute.
• Haris Hajradinovic from Bosnia and Herzegovina had committed bad foul and received a yellow card in the 68th minute.
• Amar Dedic from Bosnia and Herzegovina received a warning in the 70th minute. Luxembourg’s Marvin martinis earned a free kick in the attacking half.
• In the 73rd minute, Gerson Rodrigues from Luxemburg took a right-footed shot from outside the box but managed to save it into the bottom left corner. Leandro Barreiro provided the assist.
• At the 77th minute, Saïd Hamulic from Bosnia and Herzegovina made a head towards the centre of the box, which missed to the left. Haris Hajradinovic provided the cross.
• The seventy ninth minute saw Bosnia’s Amar Dedic with his right foot shoot an aimed shot from outside the box, but it was just over the target. Gojko Cimirot provided the assist.
• Edvin Muratovic from Luxembourg fouled in the 80th minute.
• In the 81st minute, Ermedin Demirovic of Bosnia and Herzegovina made a right-footed shot from the center of the box but it went wide to the right. The through ball was provided by Smail Prevljak.
• In the 83rd minute of the game, Luxembourg replaced Christopher Martins with Olivier Thill. Luxembourg replaced Enes Mahmutovic with Seid Korac.
• Rade Krunic from Bosnia and Herzegovina was issued a yellow card in the 87th minute.
• In the 88th minute, a Luxembourg free was awarded in the defensive half, to Seid Korac.
• In minute 89, Olivier Thill from Luxembourg made foul.
• During the 90+2 minute, goalkeeper Renato Gojkovic from Bosnia and Herzegovina netted with his header from the right six-yard box, aiming at the bottom left corner. Haris Hajradinovic crossed the ball for a corner that resulted to a goal. Luxembourg now leads 3 – 1.
• Gerson Rodrigues from Luxembourg in 90+4 minute scored a goal with the right foot shot from outside the penalty area. Luxembourg leads 4 – 1.

The second half has ended, and the final score is Luxembourg 4, Bosnia and Herzegovina 1.