MICHAEL O’Neill is seeking a new captain after the retirements of Steven Davis and Jonny Evans – but there’s no doubt about the star in his new-look team.
Liverpool’s Conor Bradley was a driving force for Northern Ireland in a dominant first half display which made light of the difficulties which Luxembourg had caused them in six previous meetings.
Their long-serving boss Luc Holtz had even recorded a 3-2 win over O’Neill and NI 11 years ago, having earlier drawn in Belfast, but there was no danger of dropped points as Bradley inspired the hosts to take control of this tie.
Only 10 places separate these sides in the Fifa World Rankings, 74th to 84th, but Northern Ireland were much the superior side on the night.
The two goals came with just over a quarter of an hour played, from two of the three centre-backs, Paddy McNair and Daniel Ballard, with the other, Ciaron Brown, playing a part in the first.
Credit to O’Neill, who sent out an attacking line-up, with Bradley and trial captain Trai Hume as wing-backs, effectively making for a 3-4-3 in possession – which was often in the opening quarter.
Although they had displayed defensive solidity in their Euro 2024 qualifying group – apart from two thrashings by Portugal – Luxembourg simply could not cope with Bradley in particular.
Like the first choice at his club, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Bradley loves delivering searching long diagonal passes and also getting forward, and neither of the two experienced opponents on his flank, Erik Veiga and Dirk Carlson, could contain him.
The 21-year-old was being fouled so often the referee only gave some of them. On other occasions his pace and movement took him away from trouble, with a lovely back-flick teeing up a 1-2 with Isaac Price, but the corner earned came to nothing.
Bradley also does his defensive duties, though, including rising above Benfica’s Leandro Barreiro to power away a defensive header, leaving his opponent in a heap on the ground.
It wasn’t entirely a one-man show, of course. The front three of Price, Dion Charles, and teenager Callum Marshall looked lively from kick-off, with the last-named having an effort on goal after just a minute from a corner, albeit it was easily saved.
Charles then ‘topped’ a shot which bounced over the bar when a free kick from George Saville wasn’t cleared – but Luxembourg did not survive the next dead ball delivery.
The problem was posed by Brown’s long throw, which was knocked backwards, and McNair neatly controlled the loose ball before deftly poking his shot low inside the far post.
Five minutes later the lead was doubled, with a similar finish, this time from another Saville set piece. Delivered low towards the six yard box, the ball was turned inside the front post with the confidence of a striker by centre back Ballard.
Close to half-time Hume could have marked his captaincy with a goal, but his curling shot from outside the area clipped the outside of the right post.
The two home wing-backs combined early in the second period, Bradley’s run and Hume’s pass setting up Price for a volley not too far wide, then Hume himself came close with an effort from distance.
The two-goal lead meant O’Neill could make early changes, with Josh Magennis becoming only the 12th player to earn 80 or more caps for Northern Ireland when he replaced Dion Charles at half-time.
The introduction of Jamal Lewis, fresh from his move to Brazilian club Sao Paulo, meant a re-shuffle, with Hume switching over to right wing-back and Bradley pushing even further forward.
Although he then shipped a heavy knock, Bradley stayed on, and might have continued his international goalscoring form when he ran onto a fine through ball from Ballard, but sent his low shot wide of the far post.
Despite plenty of effort, and some decent passages of play, Luxembourg didn’t look seriously threatening, until home goalkeeper Bailey Peacock-Farrell raced out of his goal and collided with McNair, gifting the ball to Mathias Olesen – but he volleyed wide of the open goal.
Bradley linked up dangerously a couple of times with Rangers winger Ross McCausland, then saw a shot blocked inside the area, but the goal his performance deserved would not come.
Nor would the third goal for anyone in green, with McCausland denied by a fine save after cutting in from the left in added time, and again when he ghosted in on the same side from the subsequent corner.
However, Michael O’Neill’s team head with confidence into their next match, away to Bulgaria, who opened their campaign with a goalless draw against Belarus.
With a fit and flying Conor Bradley in their ranks, Northern Ireland may begin to enjoy the Nations League at long last.
Northern Ireland: Peacock-Farrell; Bradley, Ballard (Smyth, 82), McNair Brown, Hume (capt.); S Charles (McCann, 82), Saville; Price (McCausland, 74), D Charles (Magennis, h-t), Marshall (Lewis, 57).
Luxembourg: Moris; Jans (capt.), Mahmutovic (Pinto, h-t), Gerson, Carlson; Bohnert (Dzogovic, 73), Martins, Barreiro, Veiga (Andrade Brites, 73); Olesen (Thill, 84), Rodrigues (Muratovic, 84).
Referee: Marian Barbu (Romania)
Attendance: 17,213.
