FC Twente vs. Utrecht – News and Probable Lineups

FC Twente and FC Utrecht, both unbeaten in their previous five matches, will go head-to-head at De Grolsch Veste this Sunday in round 27 of the 2025-26 Eredivisie season.

This weekend’s encounter in Enschede represents their second clash of the year, having previously met in January for a spot in the KNVB Beker quarter-finals.

Match overview

Throughout much of the season, Twente have proven to be a tough side to overcome—evident from only suffering four defeats across 26 games—but a series of draws (11, the joint-most in the league) has obstructed their advancement.

Three draws in their initial four Eredivisie outings of 2026 painted a familiar story for John van den Brom’s squad; however, they have since altered their fortunes by winning four out of the next five, culminating in a commanding 4-1 victory over Go Ahead Eagles last Sunday.

Currently sitting on 44 points after 26 matches, Twente holds the fourth position in the standings and aims for a second top-four finish in three years. The Tukkers are also eyeing Champions League qualification, trailing NEC in third by just a couple of points.

With upcoming matches against PSV Eindhoven, NEC, Ajax, AZ Alkmaar, and Sparta Rotterdam, Twente faces a challenging run-in and will rely on their defense to maintain the form that has seen them concede a league-low 27 goals.

After a stretch of four games without a win in this rivalry between April 2023 and September 2024, Twente are now unbeaten in their last three encounters against Utrecht, who allowed 1-0 leads to slip during both their cup match in January and the earlier league fixture at Stadion Galgenwaard in December.

Utrecht, facing the league’s bottom team, would have been dissatisfied with not securing all three points in their last outing against Heracles, which ended in a goalless draw at the Asito Stadion.

Things took a turn for the worse when the draw in Almelo caused Ron Jans’s team to slip out of the European qualifying spots, landing in ninth with 35 points, prompting them to reassess as the season winds down.

Nonetheless, the last few weeks have been relatively positive for De Domstedelingen, who are currently enjoying their longest unbeaten streak of the season, especially following a previous stretch of eight matches without victory, seven of which resulted in losses.

Like Twente, Utrecht will also be facing trips to PSV and Ajax, and the away side must enhance their away performance, which has seen them achieve only three wins from 13 league matches so far.

However, since a 2-1 defeat to Volendam on January 18, Utrecht has remained unbeaten in eight Eredivisie away fixtures since November 2023, although most have ended in draws (W2, D5).

Team News

FC Twente will be without 24-year-old Mees Hilgers for the remainder of the season due to an anterior cruciate ligament injury sustained in November.

Taylor Booth has been unavailable since November, and while he is approaching a return, it is anticipated that Sunday’s match against his former team will come too soon for him.

Sondre Orjasaeter is set to undergo a late fitness evaluation after an injury concern sidelined him against Go Ahead Eagles.

For Utrecht, defenders Mike van der Hoorn and Mike Eerdhuijzen are both out due to thigh injuries, while Sebastien Haller is dealing with a rib issue.

Danish players Victor Jensen and Niklas Vesterlund continue to be unfit, with Jensen poised to miss an 11th consecutive match.

FC Twente probable starting XI:

Unnerstall; M Rots, Nijstad, Lemkin, Van Rooij; Van den Belt, Zerrouki, Hlynsson; Pjaca, Lammers, D Rots

FC Utrecht probable starting XI:

Barkas; El Karouani, Viergever, Horemans, Didden; Zechiel, Engwanda; Cathline, De Wit, Alarcon; Stepanov

Twente’s home form is formidable, particularly given their recent sharpness in attack. Although Utrecht possesses resilience in away matches and are expected to score, the hosts are favored to emerge victorious in a closely contested game, maintaining their Champions League ambitions.