FC Twente 0
FC Utrecht 2 (Van der Gun 9, Duplan 59)
A clanger by Twente goalkeeper Sander Boschker gifted Utrecht a tremendous chance of Europa League football next season. Jan Wouters’ side take the two-legged tie home with a two goal advantage with Twente due to travel to Utrecht for the return leg on Sunday in the season climax.
The home side’s coach Alfred Schreuder was without first choice goalkeeper Nikolai Mikhailov and right full-back Roberto Rosales, but playmaker Nacer Chadli returned to the side. Jacob Mulenga was absent with an injury for Utrecht but his replacement Edouard Duplan played a leading role in the game.
Utrecht defended well and left the home team frustrated throughout the match, the team from Enschede lacked creativity and as the first half progressed it was looking worse for Schreuder’s men. They did not start the game well and found themselves a goal down inside ten minutes.
In the first chance of the game, Cedrick van der Gun scoring on nine minutes with a header losing marker Edson Braafheid from a Tommy Oar corner.
On the hour mark, Utrecht’s lead was doubled. Frenchman Duplan pressurised Twente’s veteran goalkeeper Boschker into an costly error. The 42-year-old rushed out of the goal to meet the ball after a Rasmus Bengtsson long ball, but the keeper miskicked and grazed the ball as Duplan was pressing. Duplan was left with an open goal and it was an opportunity not to be missed.
In the final phase, Schreuder brought young attackers into play with substituates Tim Hölscher and Felitciano Zschusschen looking for a goal. However, it was defender Braafheid who had the best chance late on, but his shot went wide.
Nana Asare will be unavailable for Utrecht in Sunday’s return leg as he received his second yellow card, defender Jan Wuytens is also suspended.
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