Fortuna Sittard won 2-0 against Vitesse on Sunday and thus took a big step towards preservation. Vitesse just received a sensitive blow: the Arnhemmers are only three points above number sixteen Excelsior with three games to go. Earlier in the day, FC Twente won 0-3 at FC Emmen thanks to two goals and an assist from Michel Vlap.
Fortuna Sittard was missing star player Burak Yilmaz, who is still not in action due to a conflict with the club management. Without the top striker, there was little to enjoy in the opening phase. Both teams played conservatively, as befits two clubs that camp in the lower regions. In the 23rd minute, the crowd was shocked when Maximilian Wittek hit the crossbar with a volley from a long distance. That was the highlight of the first half.
After the break, a striking header from Paul Gladon broke open the game. The veteran, who plays in the striker in the absence of Yilmaz, was attentive to a cross from the right and headed well. Vitesse attacked this more, but was unable to make a fist.
Fifteen minutes before the end, Fortuna striker Umaro Embalo scored the second goal of the game and goalkeeper Kjell Scherpen did not look good. The young keeper seemed to be able to turn the ball easily, but was not in time in the corner. As a result, the ball surprisingly went into the empty goal: 2-0.
In the remainder of the match, Vitesse hardly created any opportunities. Defender Ryan Flamingo was close to a goal with a header, but his header went wide. In the last minute of injury time, substitute Miliano Jonathans tried with a placed shot, but that effort was cleverly knocked out of the goal by Fortuna goalkeeper Ivor Pandur.
The team of coach Phillip Cocu still has to worry about participation in the play-offs for promotion and relegation due to the defeat. The number sixteen in the Eredivisie will play the play-offs for promotion/relegation after the season; Vitesse is now only three points above this sixteenth place. Fortuna did excellent business and now seems safe.
Stand onder in de Eredivisie:
- 12. Fortuna Sittard 31-35 (-19)
- 13. Vitesse 31-31 (-14)
- 14. FC Volendam 31-30 (-28)
- 15. FC Emmen 31-28 (-25)
- 16. Excelsior 31-28 (-41)
- 17. FC Groningen 31-18 (-32)
- 18. SC Cambuur 31-16 (-42)
Vlap hurts Emmen with two goals
Earlier in the day, FC Twente picked up the thread again after a lesser series in which two times were not won. Striker Václav Cerný was the most dangerous man on De Oude Meerdijk in the first half. The attacker of Twente had three chances for the opening goal, but could not beat goalkeeper Mickey van der Hart. Richairo Zivkovic, Mark Diemers and Jeroen Veldmate, on the other hand, failed to score for the home team.
Vlap broke the spell on behalf of Twente in the 70th minute. The attacking midfielder was allowed to moor from 20 meters and curled the ball beautifully into the top corner. Moments later, on a pass from Vlap, Cerny doubled the advantageous margin with a shot that was deflected by Ahmed El Messaoudi.
Julius Dirksen was close to scoring for Emmen in the final phase, but the substitute’s volley hit the crossbar. In injury time, Vlap provided the final chord with his second goal of the match.
With the win, Twente takes over fifth place in the Eredivisie from Sparta, which lost 0-1 to PSV on Saturday. Emmen remains fifteenth due to the defeat. Excelsior, Emmen’s competitor, lost 0-2 to Feyenoord later in the day.
View the results, the position and the program in the Eredivisie
2023-05-07 16:46:21
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