Adrian Mutu got the ball rolling for the home side with second-half goals from Cosmin Contra and Ciprian Marica ensuring a third win for the Romanians, who move to the top of Group G for a few hours at least, pending the result of Holland's match in Slovenia later on Wednesday.

Luxembourg were on the back foot from the start with Mutu proving a handful for the visiting defence.

The Fiorentina striker almost caught goalkeeper Jonathan Joubert off guard after seven minutes with a 12-yard strike, while his subsequent corner was headed narrowly past the post by Dorin Goian.

Mutu then lashed another shot inches wide of the left post, before Mirel Matei Radoi had Luxembourg hearts fluttering with a speculative shot from distance which grazed the crossbar.

It seemed only a matter of time before Romania scored however, and the deadlock was broken in the 26th minute by Mutu, who fired Ianis Zicu's precision cross into the bottom left corner.

Mutu almost added a second 10 minutes later when he drove another Zicu cross over Joubert's goal, while midfielder Zicu was himself denied when his 18-yard volley was cleared off the line by defender Eric Hoffman.

Luxembourg coach Guy Hellers made two changes at half-time in a bid to get his side into the match, but it had little effect as the Romanians doubled their lead five minutes after the restart courtesy of the right boot of Contra.

The hosts could have added a third soon after but Joubert did well to turn away a 20-yard bullet from Mutu, while Marica should have done better with a 68th-minute header which he directed wide from just a few yards out.

The shots continued to rain in from the Romanians, and after Zicu had another of his shots blocked on the line - this time by Jerome Bigard - Marica sealed the victory in the last minute with a powerful header from Goian's pass.