FC Twente and NEC will square off on Thursday in the Eredivisie European playoffs semi-finals.
The hosts finished the regular season in sixth spot, 11 points ahead of their eighth-placed visitors.
Match preview
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FC Twente return to Eredivisie action on Thursday aiming to move within one game of a second straight European bid, having eventually finished sixth in the Dutch top flight this term alongside a run to the Europa League knockout phase playoffs.
That campaign was ended in an aggregate defeat to semi-finalists Bodo/Glimt, but the Tukkers have since earned another attempt at a continental bid by earning a playoff spot, having finished the Eredivisie campaign in sixth spot, earning 54 points from their 34 regular-season outings.
Joseph Oosting's side looked set to battle for a top-four spot and guaranteed European place in the final run-in after an unbeaten run left them on 46 points from 25 matches, but they would endure a tough end to the campaign, adding just two more notches to their wins column in the last nine attempts.
Those came consecutively against Sparta Rotterdam and Utrecht in early May, but the Tukkers would go on to fall short at home to AZ Alkmaar, before visiting Ajax on the final day and succumbing to a second straight loss as Jordan Henderson and Wout Weghorst scored in a 2-0 home win.
Now needing to get through two games to return to European qualifying, FC Twente will bid to get back to winning ways on home turf in Thursday's semi-final.
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They meet a visiting side in a richer vein of form, having snuck into the playoff places late in the Eredivisie campaign.
NEC eventually finished the Dutch top-flight campaign in eighth spot, having earned 43 points from their 34 games, winning 12 and losing 15 of those after last year's memorable sixth-placed finish.
Rogier Meijer's side looked all but out of playoff contention as a defeat and a draw in late April and early May left them on 34 points with three games remaining, but they would end the campaign in style, firstly returning to winning ways in a 3-0 triumph away at then-leaders Ajax.
Meijer's men then hosted NAC Breda and prevailed by the same scoreline, before visiting Heracles on the final day and cementing eighth place with a third straight three-point haul, coming from behind to win 2-1 thanks to second-half goals from Sontje Hansen and Basar Onal.
Now two games away from a return to European football for the first time since the 2008-09 season thanks to their strong end to the season, NEC will aim to advance to the final in a tough away test on Thursday.
Team News
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FC Twente could remain without first-choice goalkeeper Lars Unnerstall, who missed their final-day trip to Ajax, while attackers Sam Lammers and Naci Unuvar are confined to the treatment room.
If Unnerstall is absent again, veteran Przemyslaw Tyton will again deputise between the sticks, while Mees Hilgers will hope to continue to get the nod alongside Max Bruns at the heart of a back four.
Ricky van Wolfswinkel should again lead the line in their 4-2-3-1 setup with support from star man Sem Steijn, who leads the Eredivisie scoring charts with 24 goals alongside seven assists in 33 league appearances this term.
NEC could be unchanged from their final-day win over Heracles, with Bram Nuytinck, Koki Ogawa and Dirk Proper remaining sidelined by injuries.
Sontje Hansen will keep his place in the attack, having moved onto six goals and four assists in the league this term with two and one respectively in their three consecutive victories, while Bryan Linssen should again get the nod up top after his brace against NAC Breda.
Kodai Sano, Sami Ouaissa and Vito van Crooij are all key men in midfield and should again line up in the centre of their 4-3-3 shape.
FC Twente possible starting lineup:
Tyton; Van Rooij, Bruns, Hilgers, Kuipers; Sadilek, Kjolo; Taha, Steijn, Vlap; Van Wolfswinkel
NEC possible starting lineup:
Roefs; Pereira, Sandler, Marquez ALvarez, Verdonk; Sano, Ouaissa, Van Crooij; Hansen, Linssen, Ouwejan
We say: FC Twente 2-1 NEC
NEC certainly head into Thursday's semi-final with new-found momentum against an FC Twente side who ended the regular season slowly, but we still see the hosts having more quality and back them to prevail with home advantage on their side.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Sam Varley
