Following our 2-1 away victory, Ferencváros entered the second leg of their UEFA Europa League second qualifying round match with a lead. Ahead of the match, Balázs Borbély naturally pointed out that the fourth-place finisher in last season’s Eredivisie was a strong team, and that Twente had definitely arrived in Budapest with the goal of turning the tie around.

Our starting lineup featured just one change from a week earlier: Callum O’Dowda replaced Bamidele Yusuf on the left side of the attack. Accordingly, we
took the field with Dibusz – Osváth, Raemaekers, Gómez, Cadu – Kanikovszki, Rommens – O’Dowda, Corbu, Zachariassen – Joseph

First Half
The Dutch made it clear with a couple of tackles that were a bit rougher than necessary that they took the phrase “going into battle” quite literally.

We countered the Dutch attacks expected in the first quarter-hour with disciplined play, taking on and winning one-on-one duels; the visitors were largely unable to get within Dénes Dibusz’s penalty area.

Down a man after conceding the opening goal
Not like us! At the end of the 20th minute, Kristoffer Zachariassen broke into the visitors’ penalty area with a beautiful run, where he was brought down. VAR quickly confirmed the referee’s decision, and Toon Raemaekers confidently converted the penalty into the right side of the net (1-0).

Fradi now held a 3-1 lead on aggregate.

Our opening goal initially rattled the Dutch team, but the visitors eventually found their footing, though Dibusz didn’t have to make any saves.

Twente’s coach made two substitutions at halftime, bringing on Lammers and Weidmann in place of Iceland’s Hlynsson and Norway’s Adelgaard.

In the 48th minute, after winning the ball, Lenny Joseph broke away from his own half, outran his marker Lemkin, cut back to receive the ball at the edge of the box, and slotted it into the bottom right corner (2-0).

We were now leading 4-1 on aggregate!

After our latest goal, the Dutch stepped up their game, and although we were indeed pinned back into our own half, we defended there with great precision and determination. That lasted until the 82nd minute, when, following a cross from the right, Weghorst slid the ball into the net (2–1). Unfortunately, after that consolation goal, we didn’t have to wait long for the equalizer either. In the 86th minute, the earlier scene repeated itself, with the difference that this time, substitute Vennegoor of Hesselink nodded the ball past Dibusz into the net (2–2).

An Exciting and Heroic Finale

The visitors were understandably fired up and pinned back our team, which was defending desperately despite being a man down. Yet perhaps the biggest chance of the match fell to our team when, in the 92nd minute, Zachariassen won a duel for a through ball in the middle of the opponent’s half but, going one-on-one with the goalkeeper, shot wide from a running position. The score remained unchanged, meaning that Ferencváros advanced from the second qualifying round undefeated!