1 hour Ago
Twente Start Brightly But Fail to Convert
Manager Van den Brom made no changes to the side that had beaten PEC Zwolle 3-1 just days earlier, once again trusting Weghorst up front with Ørjasæter, Weidmann, Rots and Pjaca operating just behind him. Qarabağ, who had dropped down from the Europa League after falling in qualifying, arrived in Enschede knowing they'd need to weather an early storm.
And storm it was, at least to begin with. Twente looked sharp from the opening whistle, with Weghorst just failing to get on the end of a promising chance and Ørjasæter forced wide after his shot was charged down. But the hosts couldn't find that crucial breakthrough, and Qarabağ gradually found their footing, slipping through Twente's press on a few occasions before finishing the half on top. Mouaddib was at the heart of it, firing narrowly over before drawing a smart save from Unnerstall, then following up with another effort that flashed just wide.
Borges Breaks the Deadlock After the Restart
Qarabağ picked up right where they left off after the break, and it nearly paid off immediately when Borges rattled the post with a thumping strike. He didn't have to wait long for a second opportunity, though. Moments later, the Brazilian forward capped off a slick combination involving Mouaddib and Qurbanly, slotting home to give the visitors a deserved lead.
From there, Twente never quite found the spark needed to hit back. Their best chance fell to Van Rooij, who was played through by substitute Lammers, only to be denied by a strong stop from goalkeeper Zlomislić - who then reacted well again to keep out Ørjasæter's rebound attempt. Adelgaard also tested the Qarabağ defence but couldn't muster enough power on his effort, while Zerrouki's stoppage-time strike drifted wide of the target as the hosts' frustration continued.
Twente now face a tall order in the second leg, needing to overturn a one-goal deficit away from home if they're to keep their European ambitions alive.
