FC Twente has prevented a defeat against Sparta in the stoppage time of the first final match of the play-offs for European football. In Het Kasteel in Rotterdam, Ron Jans’ formation was 1-0 down until injury time, but Algerian midfielder Ramiz Zerrouki headed in the equalizer in the 93rd minute. The return will take place in Enschede on Sunday. The winner qualifies for the preliminary rounds of the Conference League, the third European club tournament.
The number six of the Eredivisie (Sparta) met the number five (FC Twente) on Thursday, after the teams managed to settle in two games with FC Utrecht and SC Heerenveen respectively. In the rankings, the difference between the two teams was only five points, mutual matches in the Eredivisie did not have a winner this season.
The differences were also minimal on Thursday evening. Both Sparta and Twente visibly played with a lot of confidence. Before this football season, even the born optimist would not have dared to predict that Sparta would come close to the play-off places at all, but coach Maurice Steijn managed to forge a winning team — and was lucky that almost every purchase made by the Sparta board this season turned out to be a direct hit. Striker Tobias Lauritsen scores, winger Koki Saito passes, midfielder Joshua Kitolano takes away.
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From euphoria to realism
Towards the end of the season, FC Twente regained the top form that gave analysts the feeling that a championship might be possible during the winter break. Even the Enschede board was convinced, and kept game distributor Zerrouki out of Feyenoord’s hands despite a wish to leave. Euphoria and hope gave way to realism not long after the competition resumed. Twente spilled too many points to really turn the pursuit of Feyenoord into a chase.
In the stoppage time of the first half, Saito came into a duel with Twente’s star attacker, Václav Černý. Černý defended like an attacker, allowed the nimble Japanese to fool him, put his leg where he shouldn’t have. Vito van Crooij scored the penalty. In the injury time of the second half, Zerrouki — playing with a mask on — made the 1-1 with his head. If Sparta wins on Sunday, it will play a European match for the first time since 1994.
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