Twente take on the visitors Red Bull Salzburg in the second leg of semifinals of EUFA Champions League qualification. First leg result: -2. The match will be played on Tuesday, August 13th at De Grolsch Veste (Enschede).
Twente under Steve McClaren became the national champions in 2010 and added a third cup to their history a year later. But beyond that, there's not much else to remember from the last few decades or even the entire history of the project. The team was a mid-table side in the Eredivisie, and after stumbling and being relegated to the second division for the 2018/2019 season, they immediately bounced back. In general, the last few seasons have been a period of growth—finishing 4th, then 5th. But the last championship was a breakthrough, albeit one based on Ajax's problems, as otherwise, they wouldn't have made it into the top 3. However, this summer, they lost several key defenders, Propper and Smal, but they are expected to be replaced by newcomers, Van Hoorenbeek and Kuipers. Additionally, midfielder Latayef and forward Lammers will clearly broaden the squad. In Austria, the team was trailing by 2 goals but scored in the 90th minute, keeping their hopes alive for overall success.
| 2 x £10 Free Bet | Review | |||
| 100$-500$ for No Lose Free Bets | Review | |||
| 100% up to £200 | Review | |||
| Not available | Review |
Red Bull Salzburg must try to regain lost ground this season. The "Bulls" have lost their dominance in Austrian football. Since as far back as 2014, the club had been claiming one championship title after another in Austria. But the death of the founder and a strategy focused on selling homegrown stars was bound to backfire sooner or later. Last season, Sturm Graz outpaced the favorites and took the "gold" to Graz. Even after that, the approaches haven't changed, and this summer they bid farewell to Sučić and Pavlović, receiving €28 million for them (Horn and Koita left as free agents), and they haven't particularly splurged on new signings. All hopes for progress seem to be pinned on the work of Klopp's former assistant, Lijnders, who was enticed with the position of head coach. He won in the cup in his debut official match and also secured a 3-2 shootout victory against GAK in the first league round. Hosting the Dutch, they were leading by two goals late in the game thanks to Kjaergaard's brace, but they relaxed and conceded in return.
Before this current clash, the pair played each other in the now-forgotten Intertoto Cup a quarter of a century ago, in 1998. Back then, the Austrians were stronger—2-2 in the Netherlands, 3-1 at home. The Dutch side will be the favorites at home, but more in name than substance. The match shouldn't be dull -bet on "over 2.5 goals."
Prediction for the match: Over 2.5 scored goals.
