FC Twente can prepare for a beautiful diptych with Fiorentina. On Thursday evening, the team of trainer Ron Jans was again too strong for FK Cukaricki in the return of the third preliminary round of the Conference League: 4-1. After last week’s 1-3 win, that was more than enough to push through to the last hurdle before the group stage. Robin Pröpper and Michel Vlap scored before the break, substitute Christos Tzolis took the lead after the break with two nice hits. The trio canceled the opening goal of former Eredivisionist Luka Adzic.
In Enschede and the surrounding area, in the run-up to the return against Cukaricki, it was mainly about the upcoming diptych with Fiorentina. Last season, the Italians managed to qualify directly for the play-offs through a seventh final ranking and were linked to FC Twente last week. Where Jans gave his complete vanguard rest against NEC (0-1 win) last weekend, he returned to his intended starting eleven on Thursday. In contrast to the first game with Cukaricki, the coach made one change: Pröpper for Julio Pleguezuelo.
The Serbs showed from the first whistle that they had come to Enschede for a reason. After a first chance at the near post had landed on goalkeeper Lars Unnerstall’s fists, Adzic was accurate not much later. The former striker of PEC Zwolle and FC Emmen was served by Bojan Roganovic and shot the ball under Unnerstall: 0-1. Cukaricki was by far the better team in the first fifteen minutes, but suddenly got the equalizer after more than fifteen minutes of play. A turning free kick was completely missed by Muhammed Badamosi, after which an observant Pröpper was able to finish at the far post: 1-1.
Twente recovered well from the mediocre opening phase and took control halfway through the first half. Vlap’s header went just wide and Joshua Brenet could barely be stopped after a beautiful solo. Vlap’s second chance was a hit. The midfielder was released completely to head in a cross from Daan Rots while falling: 2-1. Not much later Rots got the opportunity to lift the margin to two, but his header on a pass from Michal Sadílek lacked power and ended up in the hands of the keeper.
It is rest in Enschede and FC Twente is ahead 2-1! #twecuk pic.twitter.com/Cx77Lkmg0l
— VTBL ? (@vtbl) August 11, 2022
After the break, the entertainment value diminished considerably and Brenet had the best chances. The right back first encountered Novak Micovic after an excellent through ball from Ricky van Wolfswinkel, after which he shot into the hands of the goalkeeper not much later on a pass from Rots. On the other hand, Unnerstall was put to the test by Samuel Owusu. Jans decided to give some players a break in the last quarter and saw his team play out the game in a controlled manner. Ajax mercenary Anass Salah-Eddine made his debut ten minutes before the end, after which the final chord came from the foot of substitute Christos Tzolis. The Greek scored twice exceptionally well from the edge of the sixteen: 4-1.
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