FC Twente will be looking to avoid back-to-back defeats in the Eredivisie when they welcome an out-of-form Vitesse side to De Grolsch Veste on Wednesday night.
The Tukkers suffered their first loss of the league campaign at RKC Waalwijk over the weekend, while Vitesse were also unsuccessful on their respective travels to Sparta Rotterdam.
Match preview
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Ahead of Sunday afternoon's trip to the Mandemakers Stadion, FC Twente were one of three sides in the Eredivisie that still had their 100% record intact at the start of the campaign alongside PSV Eindhoven and AZ Alkmaar, but that title was soon abolished.
Joseph Oosting returned to Waalwijk for the first time since leaving in the summer, and his Tukkers side were uncharacteristically flat throughout the contest and were ultimately punished, with substitute Filip Stevanovic bagging an 89th-minute winner for the hosts.
Twente's 51-year-old manager would have become the first-ever boss to achieve five straight maximums at the start of a season for the club, and although that accolade would have been welcomed, the team's full focus is now on preventing successive defeats.
The Tukkers currently sit third in the Eredivisie standings having collected 12 points from their opening five matches - a record which leaves them three points behind PSV and AZ in this early stage of the term.
Wednesday's hosts welcomed an influx of players during the summer transfer window, including Ajax duo Youri Regeer and Naci Unuvar, who will be hoping to help Twente finish above De Godenzonen this season.
Following a run of four successive defeats in the Eredivisie, pressure is beginning to build on head coach Phillip Cocu from the expectant stands of the GelreDome in Arnhem, with a big week ahead for the club as they look to build some early-season momentum.
Vitesse face a trip to high-flying Twente on Wednesday before travelling to arch rivals NEC Nijmegen for the Gelderland Derby on Sunday afternoon, and a pair of defeats in those matches would surely see Cocu's side fall into the relegation zone.
After three home matches in a row, Vitesse trekked to Sparta-Stadion Het Kasteel on Sunday to face Sparta Rotterdam, with a sixth-minute strike from influential Belgian Arno Verschueren handing the hosts maximum points.
The Arnhem-based club have struggled to pose a significant attacking threat so far this campaign - to the understandable frustration of supporters - with former Stoke City striker Marco van Ginkel netting two of his side's three league goals to date, making them the lowest-scoring outfit in the Dutch top flight.
Vitesse are winless in their in the previous four meetings with Twente, but their last success against the Tukkers came at De Grolsch Veste, where Oussama Tannane netted a dramatic 95th-minute winner in April 2021, with Thomas Letsch's men later going on to achieve a fourth-placed finish that season.
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Team News
Twente boss Oosting is expected to make a number of changes to the side who started the loss at Waalwijk on the weekend, with Daan Rots a prime candidate to drop to the bench to make room for summer signing Mitchel van Bergen.
Sem Steijn was replaced in the second period after going agonisingly close to netting his fourth of the campaign from a free-kick in the early stages at the Mandemakers Stadion, but the 21-year-old should retain his place in the hosts' engine room.
Ricky Van Wolfswinkel provides much-needed experience to the Tukkers' offensive line - the former Norwich City forward has netted three times off the bench already in the 2023-24 campaign.
Vitesse have a fresh injury concern to contend with following their loss at Sparta on Sunday, with French winger Amine Boutrah being forced off on a stretcher after 27 minutes following a nasty knock to his leg.
Bosnia-Herzegovina international Said Hamulic replaced Boutrah at the Sparta-Stadion, and it is expected that the Toulouse loanee will be tasked with providing Fode Fofana with adequate service from the right flank.
Mathijs Tielemans is a doubt for Wednesday night after suffering an injury in the warm-up on the weekend, meaning Enzo Cornelisse could partner Melle Meulensteen in the visitors' engine room once again.
Better news for Cocu's men arrives in the availability of winger Million Manhoef, who has served his one-match suspension for picking up a red card in the loss against Waalwijk on September 16.
FC Twente possible starting lineup:
Unnerstall; Sampsted, Hilgers, Propper, Regeer; Steijn, Kjolo, Sadilek; Van Bergen, Vlap, Van Wolfswinkel
Vitesse possible starting lineup:
Room; Arcus, Isimat-Mirin, Hendriks, Pinto; Cornelisse, Meulensteen; Hamulic, Van Ginkel, Kozlowski; Fofana
We say: FC Twente 2-0 Vitesse
Twente had a difficult Sunday afternoon at Waalwijk and looked unrecognisable from the side who started their campaign with four victories, but supporters will be expecting a return to winning ways on Wednesday.
Vitesse are enduring an early-season rut under the questionable management of former Derby County boss Cocu, and we believe the Arnhem-based club will come away from De Grolsch Veste without any tangible reward for their efforts.
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Top tip
Carter White
