FC Twente got the better of FC Thun 1-0 in the UEFA Conference League on Thursday, and it took a moment of drama to separate the two sides. Ramiz Zerrouki scored the only goal at the Grolsch Veste, and it came after Thun were reduced to ten men for the final half hour. The red card was hotly debated, but nobody could argue with who deserved the win. John van den Brom's team controlled the match from the opening whistle and made 55 touches inside Thun's penalty area, the most they have managed in any major European game on record.
1 hour Ago
A Strong Start but No Breakthrough
Van den Brom had Sondre Ørjasaeter back after the winger missed the 1-1 draw with Fortuna Sittard last weekend through illness, and it did not take long to see what Twente had been missing. In the ninth minute, he chipped a lovely pass over the defence to find Younes Taha, but the finish did not go in.
Twente believed they had the lead in the 24th minute when Daouda Weidmann found the net.
The celebrations did not last, as a VAR check showed the Frenchman had committed a foul before getting the ball, and the goal was ruled out.
The home side kept pushing but could not find the finishing touch. Just before the break, Daan Rots played a clever outside-of-the-boot pass to Taha, who set up Wout Weghorst in front of goal.
The Netherlands international did well to create space for himself, yet his shot drifted wide.
The Red Card That Changed Everything
Then came the turning point. Referee Genc Nuza awarded a foul against Zerrouki and was sent to the pitchside monitor.
Most people in the stadium assumed he was looking at a possible red card for the Algerian. When Nuza came back, he did pull out the red, but he showed it to Thun full-back Patrik Kristel instead. Replays suggested Kristel had barely stood on Zerrouki's leg, and it looked more clumsy than malicious.
Thun's problems grew four minutes later. Weidmann flicked a smart.
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