After a disappointing start to the season, picking up 3 points from 3 games, FC Twente had big boys Feyenoord to face today. Both sides lined up in a 4-3-3 formation and new boy Hakim Ziyech started for Twente. Before kickoff, both teams paid their respects to Pedro Salazar Hewitt with a minute’s silence, as the ex-communications consultant and translator at the club, passed away last week.
The game itself had a slow start, and it took 8 minutes for it to get its first chance. This chance came as a result of Boetius nearly opening the scoring, and Mitchell te Vrede misjudged his header after the resulting corner was whipped into the box. Twente had their first real chance in the 15th minute, when Ziyech curled one towards Mulder’s goal; however, the keeper kept his composure and handled the shot well. After this, Twente starting piling on the pressure, and it took an incredible block from Mathijsen to keep out Ebecilio’s strike. The corner that was conceded by Feyenoord after this block was clearly rehearsed on the training ground, and if Ziyech had his shooting boots on, he would’ve opened the scoring for sure. Ziyech himself had a fair few chances from outside the box, with most efforts flying over the crossbar.
Twente kept this pressure up, and created a chance through Kusk at the near post, taking a well timed block from Nelom to deny him the opening goal. Feyenoord nearly scored through a moment of confusion from Twente defender Darryl Lachman, as his mistimed clearance from a Boetius cross clattered the crossbar of his own goal. To be fair to Marsman, he recovered well to deny the follow up.
In the 33rd minute, the first big event of the game happened, as an exceptional piece of trickery from Boetius bamboozled his defender, resulting in him being brought down in the box. Due to the foul, Rhu-endly Martina took a yellow card to his name. In form striker Mitchell te Vrede stepped up, and his tame effort was brilliantly saved by Twente keeper Nick Marsman. The first half was exciting despite the lack of goals, with Hakim Ziyech and Jean-Paul Boetius being the stars of the show.
Similar to the first half, the second had a very slow tempo start. The first real chance was a Twente one, when Mokotjo’s spectacular effort from range was acrobatically saved by Mulder in the 56th minute. New signing Jens Toonstra came on for Feyenoord, and his first contribution was a decent strike from a costless kick around 30 yards from goal; although, the ball flew just wide. Feyenoord used their second substitute, Elvis Manu, and he made an instant impact. His work rate paid off on both sides of the midfield, and his delivery almost resulted in a goal when te Vrede wrapped his foot around the ball to volley it towards Marsman’s net.
Clasie had the best chance of the game (bar the penalty) in the 87th minute, as his header glanced just past the post. Feyenoord had the last chance of the game with a corner in the 93rd minute, and Manu’s header towards the back post was scrambled off the line.
Throughout the game, Feyenoord were certainly the better side, and Mitchell te Vrede certainly won’t sleep tonight after his poor penalty which could’ve and should’ve won his side the game. Ziyech and Boetius looked very sharp, and Marsman will be proud of himself after keeping a well earned clean sheet.