Groningen and Twente played out a 2-2 draw in the Eredivizi on Saturday evening at the Hitachi Capital Mobility Stadium. The result leaves both sides on seven points after five and four matches respectively, with the visitors sitting seventh and the hosts ninth in the table.
Marko Pjaca opened the scoring for the visitors six minutes in, but Thom Van Bergen equalised for Groningen eighteen minutes later. Tygo Land put the hosts ahead twenty-nine minutes in, only for Wout Weghorst to restore parity forty minutes in. Ramiz Zerrouki picked up a yellow card eight minutes in, while Mark Csinger was cautioned fifty-five minutes in.
Both managers made several changes in the second half. Sixty minutes in, Groningen brought on Brynjólfur Darri Willumsson, Mark Csinger and Pelle Clement, while Twente replaced Marko Pjaca sixty-one minutes in. Further substitutions followed at seventy-five, eighty, eighty-three and eighty-eight minutes.
Groningen held 46 per cent possession but faced a sterner test than their numbers suggest. They registered four shots on target from thirteen attempts inside the penalty area, creating three big chances against an expected goals tally of 1.48. Twente enjoyed 54 per cent possession and recorded five shots on target from twelve attempts inside the box, with an expected goals figure of 2.3 and six big chances created.
The visitors were more clinical, converting 31 per cent of their shots on target compared to 19 per cent for Groningen. Both sides completed similar numbers of aerial duels at forty each, but Twente managed seven successful crosses to three for the hosts.
The draw means Groningen remain five points off the top half while Twente hold a two-point gap to the teams above them. After recent results including a 4-1 victory over Cambuur and a 1-0 defeat away to Qarabag, the visitors will have taken something from the point. Groningen, who lost 2-3 to Fortuna Sittard last time out, will hope to build momentum at home.
