FC Twente - Qarabağ: European play-off with high stakes in Enschede
FC Twente and Qarabağ meet at De Grolsch Veste in the first leg of the Conference League play-off. Kick-off is at 20:00, with the return leg seven days later in Baku. The stakes are simple and high: the winner of the two-legged tie will secure a place in the main phase of the competition.
Both teams arrive at this clash after victories in their domestic leagues. On 16 August, FC Twente defeated PEC Zwolle 3-1 in front of 29,500 spectators. After conceding an early goal, the hosts equalised through Daouda Weidmann, took the lead after an own goal by the visitors, and Daan Rots finished the job with a shot from outside the penalty area. John van den Brom's team therefore has one win and one defeat after the first two league rounds.
Qarabağ opened the new Azerbaijani league season on 17 August with a 3-1 victory over Şamaxı FK. For both sides, this means a very short transition from domestic duties to a match that could significantly shape their European autumn.
Tickets for this match are in demand among supporters, and sales for the game in Enschede are ongoing.
How FC Twente and Qarabağ reached the play-off
FC Twente practically settled the question of qualification against DAC 1904 in the previous qualifying round already at De Grolsch Veste. They won 6-0, with six different scorers: Daan Rots, Marko Pjaca, Daouda Weidmann, Max Bruns, Ramiz Zerrouki and Robin Pröpper. The return leg in Dunajská Streda ended 3-3, so Twente advanced 9-3 on aggregate.
The return leg nevertheless also showed the Dutch team's vulnerability. Twente led 2-0 after goals from Bruns and Pjaca, then conceded three goals, before Pjaca equalised late on. John van den Brom rotated his team considerably on that occasion, among other things resting Wout Weghorst and Lars Unnerstall.
Qarabağ's path was different. The Azerbaijani team opened the season with two 3-0 victories against Icelandic side Vestri. In the next qualifying round, both matches against CSKA Sofia ended 0-0, with the Bulgarian team advancing after a penalty shootout.
Qarabağ were then moved into the Conference League qualifiers and drawn against Dynamo Kyiv. They lost the first match 1-0, but responded in Baku with a 2-0 victory. Jaly Mouaddib opened the scoring early, and Oleksii Kashchuk scored the goal in the second half that decided the tie.
- FC Twente - DAC 1904 6-0
- DAC 1904 - FC Twente 3-3
- Dynamo Kyiv - Qarabağ 1-0
- Qarabağ - Dynamo Kyiv 2-0
Such results also suggest different stories. Twente showed how efficient they can be when they find their rhythm in front of their own supporters, while Qarabağ proved against Dynamo that they know how to turn around a two-legged tie in which there is no room for a major mistake.
Twente's attack: Pjaca, Rots and Weghorst offer different threats
Marko Pjaca is one of the players who has made the best start to FC Twente's European part of the season. He scored three goals in two matches against DAC 1904, including two in the return leg. From the left side, he can attack the space towards the middle and finish the move with his own shot, which presents Qarabağ's right flank with a different problem from a traditional winger who stays close to the touchline.
Daan Rots also enters the match after a good spell. He scored against DAC in Enschede, and several days before the Qarabağ match he also found the net against PEC Zwolle. Rots can attack the space between the full-back and centre-back, but his value is not only in finishing. Against PEC, it was his ball into the penalty area that preceded the goal for 2-1.
Ramiz Zerrouki is important in midfield, alongside whom Daouda Weidmann has added extra energy and verticality. Weidmann scored against DAC and then also scored the equaliser for 1-1 against PEC Zwolle. His ability to appear on the edge of the penalty area could be important if Qarabağ close down the central zone in front of their own centre-backs.
Wout Weghorst offers a completely different profile. He gives Twente a physical reference point in the penalty area, the option of playing more directly and a target for crosses. Against a defence that often uses four players in the back line, his battle with the centre-backs can open up other spaces for Pjaca, Rots or a player arriving from deeper positions.
Robin Pröpper provides an additional threat from set pieces. He scored in the emphatic victory over DAC, while Twente also found the net from a corner in the return leg when Max Bruns was the scorer.
Qarabağ arrive with European experience, but also an important change in attack
Qarabağ are led by Qurban Qurbanov, the coach who was also on the bench when these two clubs met in European qualifying in 2014. That is a rare level of continuity on the club scene, and it is also evident in the way the team approaches two-legged qualifying ties.
The current squad has enough technically gifted players that it does not have to simply defend and wait for counter-attacks. Marko Janković and Pedro Bicalho can be important for controlling midfield, while Jaly Mouaddib and Oleksii Kashchuk have already shown against Dynamo that they can decide a match.
Mouaddib is particularly worth watching. The goal with which he opened the return leg against Dynamo changed the entire tie. Kashchuk added the second, while attacking options such as Reynald Cephas, Musa Qurbanli and Joni Montiel are also in the squad.
A major change occurred only a few days before the trip to Enschede. Abdellah Zoubir left Qarabağ after eight years at the club. He was an important part of the attacking structure and had still been scoring in European qualifiers this summer, so Qurbanov now has to distribute his creative responsibility among other players.
That does not necessarily mean Qarabağ will change their basic system. In their European matches so far, the team has often operated in a shape close to 4-2-3-1, with enough technical quality behind the most advanced player to retain the ball and play through the first line of pressure.
Tactical battle: how high will Twente dare to risk?
The hosts will probably try to transfer the pressure from the stands onto the pitch from the early stages. Against PEC Zwolle, John van den Brom was particularly pleased with the fact that his team played high up the pitch for most of the match and constantly pressed the opposition. A similar plan also makes sense against Qarabağ, but a European two-legged tie requires somewhat greater control of risk.
Twente's full-backs Bart van Rooij and Aske Adelgaard can help create width, while Pjaca and Rots move into more dangerous inside areas. If both full-backs remain high at the same time, Qarabağ gain space for quick transitions through the wings and players moving behind the first line of Twente's press.
Qarabağ, on the other hand, have no need to turn the first match into an open exchange of attacks. The return leg is played in Baku, so a result that leaves the tie completely open is particularly valuable for the visitors. That could mean longer spells of organised defending and attempts to play out through Janković, Bicalho or Kashchuk as soon as Twente lose the ball.
For the hosts, their reaction after losing possession will therefore be important. DAC showed in the return leg what can happen when Twente lose control of a match: the Dutch team surrendered a 2-0 lead and at one point trailed 3-2.
Set pieces are another area that deserves attention. Pröpper and Bruns have already scored in European matches this summer, while Weghorst's physical presence further increases the number of potential targets in the penalty area.
Absences and team selection
The full line-ups will only be known shortly before the match, but FC Twente have several fitness concerns. Stav Lemkin is listed among the injured players, as is Mees Hilgers. Max Bruns missed the league match against PEC Zwolle because of injury, so his status will be one of the details to follow before kick-off.
Bart van Rooij played against PEC, but Van den Brom explained after the match that he had not been expected in advance to play all 90 minutes. The coach also used some of his substitutions with the European match in mind.
For Qarabağ, the available information does not confirm a major list of unavailable players, but Zoubir's departure changes the attacking rotation immediately before this match.
- Stav Lemkin - listed as injured for FC Twente
- Mees Hilgers - listed as injured for FC Twente
- Max Bruns - missed the latest league match because of injury
- Abdellah Zoubir - left Qarabağ before the trip to Enschede
The previous tie left Twente with an unpleasant memory
FC Twente and Qarabağ already played a two-legged qualifying tie in 2014. The first match in Baku ended 0-0. In the return leg at the stadium in Enschede, Luc Castaignos gave Twente the lead in the 37th minute, but Muarem equalised for 1-1 early in the second half.
The aggregate score was 1-1, and Qarabağ advanced under the away-goals rule that was in force at the time.
That tie has little tactical value today because the squads are almost completely different, but it has an interesting connection: Qurban Qurbanov was also in charge of Qarabağ then. Twelve years later, he returns to Enschede for a qualifying match against the same opponent.
The clubs also met in friendly matches in July 2025. FC Twente played two shortened matches against Qarabağ in Austria. Twente won one 2-1, while Qarabağ won the other 3-2. Those results carry no competitive weight, but some players on both sides are already familiar with the opponent.
De Grolsch Veste: a compact stadium with stands close to the pitch
De Grolsch Veste is located on the north-western side of Enschede and holds around 30,000 spectators. FC Twente moved to this location in 1998, and the stadium was later expanded. Since 2011, it has had a capacity of approximately 30,000 seats.
The most recent home match gives a good indication of the attendance that can be expected. There were 29,500 spectators in the stands against PEC Zwolle. In a European play-off, with a place in the main phase at stake, another evening with very full stands is expected.
Seats in the stands are disappearing quickly, so it is worth securing tickets in good time.
The stadium is also practical for visitors travelling to Enschede by train. Enschede Kennispark railway station is located directly opposite the stadium, so after leaving the train the entrances can be reached on foot.
- Address: Colosseum 65, 7521 PP Enschede
- Capacity: around 30,000 spectators
- Nearest railway station: Enschede Kennispark, directly next to the stadium
- Additional trains run to Enschede Kennispark station on matchdays
- According to standard information for home matches, the stadium opens around 1.5 hours before kick-off
For a 20:00 kick-off, the standard stadium opening time would mean entry from around 18:30. Visitors are nevertheless advised to check any special instructions for this match before travelling, as entry arrangements can be adjusted for individual matches.
Arriving by car and parking
FC Twente recommends that supporters use public transport or bicycles for home matches, partly because the immediate area around the stadium quickly becomes congested with cars.
De Grolsch Veste has approximately 1,000 parking spaces, but the appropriate parking permit is required for the club's parking zones on matchday. P4 normally opens 2.5 hours before kick-off.
Another important option is the Universiteit Twente area. Additional parking options are available there, and free shuttle buses operate between the university and the stadium on home matchdays. According to information from the club, the service begins two hours before the match and continues after the final whistle.
For visitors travelling from central Enschede, public transport is a very simple solution because of Kennispark station. The stadium is also connected by bus from the direction of the city's main bus station.
Enschede before and after the match
Enschede is a city in the east of the Netherlands, close to the German border. The main city centre and the stadium are not in the same location: De Grolsch Veste lies towards the Kennispark and Universiteit Twente area, while the city centre is several kilometres further east.
For a supporter arriving several hours early, a practical combination is to spend time in the centre and later travel by train towards Enschede Kennispark. This avoids having to search for parking immediately around the stadium during the busiest part of the evening.
Given the 20:00 kick-off, the greatest congestion can be expected in the period immediately before the start. The club generally advises arriving early in order to reduce queues at the entrances. That is particularly sensible for a European evening on which the stands are close to full capacity.
What to expect in the stands and on the pitch
The home match gives Twente the opportunity to try to build an advantage before travelling to Baku. The emphatic 6-0 victory over DAC shows how dangerous the hosts can be when they find an early goal and force the opponent to come out of their defensive block.
Qarabağ, however, arrive with enough experience that the score after the first 20 or 30 minutes does not have to determine their approach. They lost the first match against Dynamo and then calmly turned the tie around in the return leg. Qurban Qurbanov's team are accustomed to matches in which the score has to be viewed across the full 180 minutes.
For Twente, the key is to maintain pressure without repeating the problems from Dunajská Streda. For Qarabağ, it will be equally important to survive the initial surge and find moments in which they can attack the space behind the home full-backs.
On one side Pjaca, Rots, Weidmann and Weghorst, on the other Mouaddib, Kashchuk, Janković and Qarabağ's other attacking options. Between them are two teams that showed in the previous round that they can score goals, but also that their European journeys have not been without problems.
Ticket sales for this match are ongoing, and arriving early at De Grolsch Veste makes particular sense for visitors coming to the stadium for the first time.
Sources:
FC Twente - schedule and match time, victory against PEC Zwolle, squad and injury information, qualifying matches against DAC 1904, ticket sales, attendance, stadium information, public transport access and parking.
Qarabağ FK - current schedule, victory against Şamaxı FK, European results, squad and team information.
FotMob - current form of both teams, player availability, latest line-ups and head-to-head results.
European competition match-centre - qualifying results, registered players, coaches and the historical 2014 tie.