Having avoided defeat in all three home games in the League Phase of last season’s Conference League, the Red Imps looked to make a positive start against Twente. However, the visitors created a couple of good chances in the opening quarter-hour, with Marko Pjaca and Thomas van den Belt firing wastefully over in quick succession.
Undeterred, a breakthrough duly arrived in the 19th minute, when Wout Weghorst’s clever reverse pass found Van den Belt, who swept a confident finish beyond Jaylan Hankins.
Twente continued to stamp their authority on proceedings, and a second goal followed just five minutes later, with Weghorst reacting fastest in the six-yard box to convert a loose ball.
The one-way traffic showed no signs of relenting as the first half progressed, as Daan Rots and Van den Belt both went close to scoring a third for the visitors. Nevertheless, despite Twente’s dominance, the Red Imps halved the deficit against the run of play before half-time, with Nano’s free-kick deflecting beyond a stranded Joel Drommel.
Determined to regain control of the contest, Twente ramped up the pressure at the start of the second period, and John van den Brom’s side restored their two-goal cushion shortly before the hour mark. Bart van Rooij’s low delivery was perfect for Van den Belt, who applied the finishing touch from six yards to score his second of the evening. That all but sealed the visitors’ victory, with Van den Brom rotating several of his key players heading into the final half-hour.
Despite those changes, Twente should’ve extended their lead in the 81st minute, only for substitute Sondre Orjasaeter to inexplicably miss the target with the goal at his mercy.
Not to be denied, the Dutch side added a fourth goal deep into stoppage time through Daouda Weidmann’s superb 25-yard strike, as Twente extended their unbeaten away run across all competitions to six matches (W3, D3). Red Imps, meanwhile, are still waiting for their first points of the campaign, something they will look to change when they host Hajduk Split on Matchday 3.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Thomas van den Belt (FC Twente)
