FC Twente, aiming to stay in touch with the top three, welcomes struggling SBV Excelsior to De Grolsch Veste in an Eredivisie clash on Friday night.
Twente clinched a win in their last outing against Go Ahead Eagles, while Excelsior managed to salvage a draw against RKC Waalwijk.
Match Preview:
FC Twente registered their first away win since October with a victory over Go Ahead Eagles, thanks to goals from Manfred Ugalde, Sem Steijn, and Younes Taha.
They currently sit in fourth place, having lost only one of their last nine Eredivisie matches.
With a tally of 30 points from 14 games, Twente aims to secure a top-four finish and potentially qualify for UEFA’s Europa Conference League group stage.
On the flip side, SBV Excelsior, after a promising start, endured a seven-game winless run in the Eredivisie.
They had to come from two goals down to draw against RKC Waalwijk, highlighting their defensive frailties, conceding 16 goals in their last eight league matches.
Excelsior’s struggles have impacted their attacking prowess too, with key striker Nikolas Agrafiotis going without a goal in his last eight appearances.
FC Twente Eredivisie form: D W D D L W
SBV Excelsior Eredivisie form: L L D D L D
Team News:
FC Twente will miss Mees Hilgers due to suspension, while Michel Vlap remains doubtful due to a recent knock. Daan Rots is likely to retain his spot after a solid performance in their last game.
Excelsior still has several players sidelined, including Jacky Donkor, Mike van Duinen, and Raphael Eyongo. Lennard Hartjes is also unavailable due to a long-standing knee injury.
Nikolas Agrafiotis might start after impressing off the bench in the previous match, alongside Richie Omorowa and Oscar Uddenas vying for starting spots.
Possible Starting Lineups:
FC Twente: (4-3-3)
Unnerstall;
Sampsted, Van Hoorenbeeck, Propper, Smal;
Kjolo, Steijn, Sadilek;
Rots, Regeer, Ugalde
SBV Excelsior: (4-3-3)
Van Gassel;
Horemans, Widell, Nieuwpoort, Zagre;
Sandra, Yaakoubi, Baas;
Parrott, Driouech, Agrafiotis
Prediction: FC Twente 2-1 SBV Excelsior
Twente holds a strong record at home and is likely to continue their winning momentum against an out-of-form Excelsior. Excelsior’s defensive vulnerabilities could be exposed, leading to a narrow victory for Twente.