Twente makes difference after halftime and increases concerns Emmen

NOS Football–today, 14:13

Watch the summary of FC Emmen – FC Twente

FC Twente took advantage of Sparta’s loss by winning 3-0 in and against Emmen. As a result, coach Ron Jans’ team regained the fifth spot in the Eredivisie from the Rotterdammers. FC Emmen’s situation remains worrying.

Indeed, for the Drenten it is all hands on deck this month to avoid ending up in the loathed sixteenth place, and thus nacompetition soccer. With duels with AZ (away), Feyenoord (home) and FC Utrecht (away) still on the schedule, it is a tough job.

Stakes high

Partly for this reason, the stakes were high. Also from FC Twente’s point of view, because a draw or victory would mean the visitors would take back the fifth place in the premier league from Sparta, which lost to PSV on Saturday night.

The Tukkers, with Ramiz Zerrouki departing for Feyenoord in the starting lineup, had a few chances in the early stages through Vaclav Cerny, but the striker did not have his sights set on the ball. At the other end, Richairo Zivkovic shot just wide after a revival by Emmen.

Cerny then claimed the lead role again by, after a combination with Manfred Ugalde, pouncing first on Emmen goalkeeper Mickey van der Hart. Moments later, he laid the ball back to Julio Pleguezuelo after an action, but the Spaniard saw his effort land on Miguel Araujo’s body.

Only twenty minutes before time the game was broken open and Twente needed a free kick to do so. Michel Vlap took responsibility and kicked the ball over the wall beyond the reach of Van der Hart into the goal.

Watch reactions from Michel Vlap, Dick Lukkien and Ramiz Zerrouki.

Emmen coach Lukkien balks at ‘that Vlap’, Twente player Zerrouki is ‘finally’ Feyenoord player

Cerny’s 0-2, five minutes later and changed direction by Ahmed El Messaoudi, proved decisive. Emmen did put up some resistance, including a Julius Dirksen shot off the underside of the crossbar, but had to give in. Vlap made it 0-3 in injury time.

Twente is now two points ahead of Sparta and seven ahead of number seven FC Utrecht. The chance of ‘home advantage’ in the playoffs has thus increased considerably. It still meets NEC (home), RKC (away) and Ajax (home) in May.

Emmen, on the other hand, will have to pull out all the stops to avoid nacompetition soccer.