FC Twente secured their place in the decisive play-off round of the UEFA Conference League on Thursday night despite playing out a turbulent 3-3 draw against Slovakian side DAC 1904 in Dunajská Streda, according to reports from NOS and nlsportnieuws.nl. The Dutch club advanced comfortably on aggregate following a dominant 6-0 victory in the first leg played in Enschede.
Squad Rotation Backfires as Twente Slips Up
With a massive cushion from the home fixture, manager John van den Brom opted to rest several key players for the away trip, as reported by nlsportnieuws.nl. Star forward Wout Weghorst and goalkeeper Lars Unnerstall were left at home, while Sondre Orjasaeter missed the trip due to personal circumstances. The experimental lineup featured starts for Ruud Nijstad, Joël Drommel, Younes Taha, Kristian Hlynsson, and Lucas Vennegoor of Hesselink—marking Vennegoor of Hesselink’s first start after 17 substitute appearances.
The tactical approach initially paid dividends when FC Twente replicated last week’s opening sequence. An accurate corner kick from Daouda Weidmann found defender Max Bruns completely unmarked in the penalty area, allowing him to head home the opening goal and establish a 1-0 lead, per nlsportnieuws.nl. Neither side generated significant offensive threats for the remainder of the first half.
Pjaca Twice Rescues the Tukkers
Substitute Marko Pjaca made an immediate impact after the interval, according to nlsportnieuws.nl. The Croatian winger dribbled past his marker minutes into the second half and struck a precise shot into the far corner to double the visitors’ advantage to 2-0.
Following the second goal, FC Twente ceded momentum to the hosts. Goalkeeper Joël Drommel misjudged a cross in the 52nd minute, permitting DAC striker Abdoulaye Gueye to tap in an easy goal and cut the deficit to 1-2. Energized by the breakthrough, DAC 1904 pressed forward and capitalized on fading defensive intensity. Defender Klemen Nemanic leveled the score at 2-2 by heading in an inswinging free kick completely unchallenged.
The Slovakian hosts smelled blood and completed a stunning turnaround late in the match when substitute Prince Owusu broke away from his own half, kept his composure, and slotted past the defense to make it 3-2 for DAC 1904, as detailed by nlsportnieuws.nl.
Late Equalizer Seals Play-Off Berth
Despite the defensive collapse, FC Twente avoided defeat deep into stoppage time, courtesy of Pjaca once again. DAC goalkeeper Filipe fumbled an inswinging cross from Taha, pushing the loose ball directly into the path of Pjaca, who calmly converted the rebound to seal the final 3-3 scoreline, according to nlsportnieuws.nl.
The result secures a 9-3 aggregate victory across the two legs, advancing the Dutch side to the final hurdle before the tournament proper. FC Twente will now face Azerbaijani club FK Qarabag in the decisive play-off round. The first leg is scheduled for Thursday, August 20, followed by the return fixture on August 27, according to nlsportnieuws.nl.
