FC Twente failed to achieve the impossible on Thursday evening. At home, it had to beat Fenerbahçe by at least four goals to erase last week’s 5-1 defeat. That did not happen: the team from Enschede lost 0-1. The only goal of the game was scored twenty minutes before the end by Edin Dzeko. With that, Twente’s European season is over.
Trainer Joseph Oosting started the game with two other basic players than last week in Istanbul. Mees Hilgers, who is struggling with a groin injury, was replaced in the defense by Max Bruns. Youri Regeer was also missing from Twente’s starting eleven, which had everything to do with his red card last week. Ricky van Wolfswinkel played instead of him, also in an attempt to do something about the 5-1 deficit. At Fenerbahçe, Dusan Tadic and Jayden Oosterwolde played from the first minute, while Sebastian Szymanski started on the bench. Ferdi Kadioglu was missing due to a muscle tear.
Fenerbahçe, which had to make do with an empty box due to disturbances during the match against NK Maribor a few weeks ago, had a hard time in the opening phase. Twente was the better party, and got some chances through Van Wolfswinkel and Michel Vlap (both attempts went wide). Still, the first serious opportunity was for the visitors after more than half an hour, but goalkeeper Lars Unnerstall saved Tadic’s bet. The first half ended without goals, but with seven yellow cards.
After the break, Twente became more threatening, and it was very close to 1-0 twice. After a long ball from Robin Pröpper, Sem Steijn hit the post, and ten minutes later Vlap also hit the aluminum from a free kick. Twenty minutes before the end, the ball hit the spot on the other side of the field, after a foul by Pröpper. Dzeko sent Unnerstall to the wrong corner: 0-1. That was also the final score in De Grolsch Veste.