FC Twente takes the points in an unexciting home game with FC Groningen

FC Twente has booked a home victory over low-flying FC Groningen a week after the 6-1 defeat at PSV in the competition and a few days after the 0-0 at Olympiacos in the Europa League. After an unexciting match it became 2-0 for the number five in the rankings.

Despite Thursday’s tough match in Greece, Twente apparently started the job in their own Grolsch Veste full of fresh courage. But that didn’t last long. The men of trainer Joseph Oosting, whose son Thijs was in the starting line-up for the opponent, quickly fell far back.

That was the signal for Groningen, which started defensively, to come out of its shell and become the first to become dangerous halfway through the first half: Jorg Schreuders shot narrowly wide.

But a little later the guests suddenly found themselves behind. Daan Rots found the right back Bart van Rooij, whose seemingly harmless effort caromed into the goal via the leg of Thijmen Blokzijl: 1-0.

Then it rained chances for a while. Groningen player Romano Postema shot once against the post and once wide, while on the other side a roller from Sam Lammers just disappeared on the wrong side of the post. Shortly before halftime, goalkeeper Etienne Vaessen single-handedly stopped the Twente striker from scoring.

After the break, not much changed in the game, although the first threat now came from the home team: Ricky van Wolfswinkel headed straight at Vaessen.

But Twente also has Sem Steijn, who is showing an unprecedented scoring drive this season. Played by (again) Rots, he first cut down Stije Resink and then drove the ball into the enemy goal via the crossbar. It was already the twelfth competition goal for the top scorer in the Premier League.

The difficult-scoring Groningen – with fourteen goals it only holds Sparta (thirteen) and Almere City (seven) below it in the Premier League – lost the match after that 2-0. The northern formation no longer found the energy to turn the tide, although Unnerstall still had to take action when separating from the market when substitute David van der Werff was deployed.

At the same time, FC Twente also thought it was going well in the last home game of the year. The cup match with Katwijk awaits on Wednesday and in a week the Tukkers will visit AZ, a competitor in the battle for European football next season.