European Playoffs: Advantages for Twente and Sparta
The first leg of the Eredivisie European playoffs took place on Thursday and below is a round-up of all the action. Heerenveen 1-2 Twente Manfred Ugalde scored in the 92nd minute as FC Twente gave themselves a slender advantage to take back to Ensche
The first leg of the Eredivisie European playoffs took place on Thursday and below is a round-up of all the action.
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Heerenveen 1-2 Twente
Manfred Ugalde scored in the 92nd minute as FC Twente gave themselves a slender advantage to take back to Enschede for the second leg.
Twente was the stronger side in the opening stages with Andries Noppert denying Michel Vlap before Vaclav Cerny fired the visitors in front in the 19th minute.
Heerenveen showed little but before the break, they leveled as a swerving shot from Thom Haye surprised Lars Unnerstall and found the net.
Noppert kept Heerenveen level in the second half, while the post also denied Gijs Smal. It seemed that the hosts would hold on but in stoppage time, Manfred Ugalde got in on the right and fired the ball through the legs of Noppert to make it 2-1.
Utrecht 1-2 Sparta Rotterdam
Sparta Rotterdam took a step towards Europe with a slender win over Utrecht.
Koki Saito nearly gave Sparta the lead in the opening minute but his strike cannoned off the crossbar. At the other end, Nick Olij kept out an effort from Bart Ramselaar.
Olij kept Utrecht out again and after 29 minutes, Sparta got a penalty after a foul by Ruben Kluivert. Vito van Crooij made no mistake from the spot.
The excellent Olij saved Sander van de Streek’s header before Tobias Lauritsen made it 2-0 for Sparta before the break.
Anastasios Douvikas pulled one back with a header in the second half but Sparta managed to hold on for the win.
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