Dudelange achieve national best
Wednesday, July 20, 2005
Article summary
NK Zrinjski 0-4 F91 Dudelange (agg: 1-4, aet) A first Luxembourg win in the UEFA Champions League.
Article body
Gruszczynski equaliser
The Mostar team had picked up a 1-0 win last week in Luxembourg on their UEFA Champions League debut. And it seemed that goal would take them through until the second minute of added time when Polish striker Thomas Gruszczynski scored to force extra time.
Extra-time goals
In the sixth minute of the additional half-hour Joris Di Gregorio gave Dudelange the lead in the tie for the first time and just before the turnaround Gruszczynski found the target again. Zrinjski now needed four goals, and any hope disappeared when Di Gregorio's French compatriot Gaël Hug struck the visitors' fourth five minutes from the end.
Rapid await
Dudelange now play SK Rapid Wien in the second qualifying round and will welcome the Austrian side for the first leg next week. It was the first time they had won a two-legged European encounter in eleven attempts, and the last Luxembourg team to prevail in a European Cup tie were AS Jeunesse Esch in 1963/64 - meaning Dudelange have achieved their nation's best performance in the Champions League era.
