Thinned Utrecht face Twente with a squad stretched by injuries

The last time these sides met, Utrecht left Enschede with a 2-0 win in the Eredivisie in March. They return to De Grolsch Veste on Sunday with a squad that has been badly depleted, and that will shape how this match unfolds.

Twente’s chance to press while Utrecht count the cost

Twente sit fourth in the Eredivisie with 17 points from eight matches and a goal difference of +8. Utrecht are 14th of 18 with 8 points and a goal difference of -11. The gap on the table is wide, but the story here is less about standings than about who will be available. Utrecht arrive with a long list of absentees, and every missing body makes the task harder.

Twente’s home rhythm against Utrecht’s leaky defence

Twente have been dominant on their own patch, winning all four of their home league games and scoring nine times while conceding three. They have also kept two clean sheets at home this season. Their recent form reads DWWWD in the league.

Utrecht’s road record is far less convincing: one win, one draw and two defeats in four away games. They have conceded 25 goals in eight league matches, and their last five games have yielded 16 goals against. Utrecht’s league form of WLWDL shows flashes of resilience, but their defence has rarely looked secure.

Utrecht’s March win and a run of tight finishes

Of the last five meetings, Utrecht have won two, Twente have won two and one ended 1-1. Utrecht’s 2-0 victory in March followed a 1-2 defeat to Twente in the KNVB Beker in January, a result that showed how close these clashes tend to be.

Utrecht’s infirmary

Utrecht face the most significant problems. Abdullah Engwanda is out with a hamstring injury, while Jensen, Jonathans and Ohio are sidelined with knee problems. Stepanov is missing with an ankle injury, and Paredes is a doubt with a knee complaint. Twente are also without players, with S. Lemkin sidelined by a muscle injury and M. Bruns and L. Unnerstall also missing.

Our prediction

Twente should have enough quality and home momentum to control this match, and Utrecht’s defensive troubles make it hard to see them keeping the score down. Their March win shows they can hurt Twente, but without several first-choice players, sustaining that effort for 90 minutes will be difficult. We expect the hosts to take charge and finish the stronger side.

Predicted score: Twente 2-0 Utrecht