Luxembourg and Belarus have played each other five times in a competitive upcoming Euro 2012 qualifier

Both Luxembourg and Belarus have played each other five times in a competitive setting and were also previously drawn in the same groups in the qualifiers for Euro 96 and Euro 98.

The minnows have actually enjoyed one win during the five games but it was away from home and Belarus will be keen to secure their second win over Luxembourg, failing which could strike an early blow to their optimism of perhaps reaching a major finals for the first time.

Both teams first made acquaintances on 12 October 1994 – four days shy of exactly 16 years before their upcoming fixture – and the occasion proved a notable one for Belarus. The hosts’ 2-0 win in Minsk was their first victory in eight matches as an independent nation, with Miroslav Romaschenko and Serguei Gerasimets scoring the goals for Serguei Borovsky’s side, while the return match finished in a draw.

Paired again in UEFA EURO 2008 qualifying, Timofei Kalachev and Vitali Kutuzov put Belarus on the road to a 2-1 success when the teams met in Luxembourg, leaving Chris Sagramola to grab his side’s consolation effort. Despite that setback, Luxembourg exacted revenge with a surprise 1-0 triumph in Gomel on 13 October 2007, five days shy of three years before their next meeting and a day over 13 years on from their first encounter. Alphonse Leweck found the net deep into added time for Guy Hellers’ side. Captain Jess Strasser returns from injury for Belarus vs Luxembourg as the hosts look to pick up their first points in UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying Group D at the Stade Josy Barthel on Friday. Luxembourg have opened their campaign with defeats by Bosnia and Herzegovina (3-0) and Albania (1-0) and will hope to make their mark against Belarus, who are level with Albania at the top of the section with four points from two games, before travelling to France the following Tuesday.