FC Twente Vs. PSV Eindhoven: Theo Janssen Brace Gives Twente A Massive Victory

Though Bryan Ruiz has not scored for FC Twente, his introduction into the game and his play since has been the catalyst for Twente taking, then expanding their lead. Though he will not be the man of the match, as that honor will go to Theo Janssen, the man who just completed his brace, Twente may not have been able to take the lead without him. He helped create Twente’s second goal, giving them a 2-0 lead over PSV Eindhoven, but let’s not put all the focus on him, as brilliant as he is.

Janssen’s finish on the goal was absolutely sublime, as he hit an amazing chip over the top of Andreas Isaksson and into the back of the net, following a counter-attack. It was a well deserved second goal after a couple of other attempts from open play hit the post, and PSV are now looking like an extremely deflated and defeated side.

Talk about a timely and impacting return. Just a couple of minutes after he was substituted into the match to a roar from the home fans, Costa Rican international Bryan Ruiz made a massive impact on the game, drawing a penalty on a foul by PSV Eindhoven’s Orlando Engelaar. Free-scoring midfielder Theo Janssen stepped up to take the penalty as usual, and he buried his ninth goal of the season to put FC Twente up by a score of 1-0.

The penalty was a soft one, for sure. Engelaar did make contact with Ruiz, but the Costa Rican went down very, very easily. The most cynical of people might call the soft penalty justice, as Twente were denied a clear penalty and sending off when PSV got away with a handball off the line in the first half. At this point, it looks like the recent trend in this fixture will continue, and PSV will go a seventh straight year without winning in Enschede.

Early on in the match, the officials have already missed the first big decision of the game. FC Twente will have every reason to feel seriously aggrieved, as PSV Eindhoven have cleared a ball off the line with a clear handball that, without question, should have resulted in a red card and a penalty kick. Erik Pieters was the man who handled the ball, and he’s extremely lucky to still be on the pitch. The handball seemed very obvious even at full speed, and it’s pretty surprising that the referee has completely missed it.

Besides that, it’s been a great game so far. Both teams have had their scoring opportunities, but have been unable to convert. With the attacking styles of play and the attacking players on the pitch, it would be very surprising if this game went deep into the second half without a goal. It’s lively enough of a game as is, but a goal in the first half would seriously spice things up.

Both FC Twente and PSV Eindhoven have kept it surprise free going into their massive match, selecting the same teams as they did in their previous league fixtures. So, there isn’t a whole lot to discuss. 4-3-3 vs. 4-2-3-1 is often a very interesting tactical battle, and it should be no different today. Here are your lineups.

FC Twente lineup (4-3-3): Mihaylov; Buysse, Wisgerhof, Rosales, Bengtsson; Brama, Janssen, Landzaat; de Jong, Chadli, Bajrami