Karaca reignites Dudelange flame

Playmaker Yasin Karaca's arrival has revitalised F91 Dudelange's title hopes in Luxembourg, culminating in a 4-0 mauling of league leaders AS Jeunesse Esch.

Signed from Belgian side AFC Tubize in the winter, the 26-year-old one-time RSC Anderlecht trainee found his feet instantly, and said: "We have won every match since my arrival and I have been able to display my skills. We have reignited the race for the title. It ain't over 'til the fat lady sings. Then we will see where we stand."

The 169cm-tall player, who holds Turkish and Belgian passports, scored in his first two games for the club, played decently in his third, but arguably saved his best for the fourth; the headline-grabbing clash with league leaders Esch, who kicked off the game on 28 March six points clear at the top of the table.

Champions for the last five seasons, Dudelange went into the fixture desperate for victory with coach Marc Grosjean saying on the eve of the big showdown: "We will only give up when we mathematically have no chance to win the title, but we are realistic enough to know that we have to win this one."

That they did so in such emphatic style owes much to Karaca, who scored the first and then set up three goals for team-mate Tomasz Gruszczyński. "I saw the cross coming in, dived at it and it was in the net," said Karaca as he reflected on his third goal for the club. "That early goal was tremendously important for our game.

"Today, we did what we had to do," he added, reflecting on a result which leaves his side three points shy of the leaders with six games to go. "It was obvious that this was going to be an important encounter, and it ended happily for the team and for me on a personal level." He will look to work more wonders as his side visit US Rumelange at the weekend.