Preview: FC Twente vs. Vitesse - prediction, team news, lineups

The hosts have a 100% record at home this season, beating league leaders PSV Eindhoven in their last encounter at De Grolsch Veste, while the visitors' only win of the campaign so far has come away from home.

Match preview

After relegation to the Eerste Divisie for just the second time in their history in 2018, FC Twente have enjoyed steady improvement since their immediate return to the top flight, culminating in an impressive fourth-placed finish last season.

Under the guidance of former Groningen head coach Ron Jans, the Tukkers lost just twice at home last campaign, ending the season with the Eredivisie's third-best defensive record, behind only Ajax and Feyenoord.

The early signs also look good for Jans's men at the start of the new season, recording three consecutive home victories so far, with nine goals scored and just one conceded, as well as boasting the joint-best defence of the early Eredivisie campaign, conceding five goals in their opening seven matches.

Results on the road have been slightly less consistent however, with a 2-1 defeat to Heerenveen last time out ending a three-game unbeaten run.

After taking an early lead though Virgil Misidjan, the Overijssel side fell to a frustrating 2-1 defeat, despite holding 61% possession of the ball, firing 20 shots at goal, and hitting the woodwork twice.

Returning to their fortress on Saturday, Twente will see this game as a good opportunity to make amends.

For Vitesse, on the other hand, it has been all change since they secured an 11th consecutive top-10 finish last season.

The revolving doors have continued to swing into the new campaign, with manager Thomas Letsch leaving for Bundesliga's bottom side Bochum last week.

Phillip Cocu has been chosen as the man to take up the reins, a former midfielder with 328 appearances in the Eredivisie as a player, including 137 for Vitesse themselves, with his last coaching job being a 16-month stint in the Championship with Derby County.

Currently the third-lowest scorers, and with the fourth-leakiest defence, the ex-Barcelona midfielder has a lot of work to do at both ends of the pitch ahead of his first game in charge, joining a club who have been rocked by the departures of several key players in the summer.

Alongside last season's runner-up for the Eredivisie Golden Boot, Lois Openda, crucial defenders Danilho Doekhi and Eli Dasa, as well as versatile midfielder Riechedly Bazoer, have all moved on to pastures new, leaving gaps that the new recruits have so far struggled to completely heal.

With just one win from their opening seven games, including big defeats to Heerenveen and Feyenoord, Geel en Zwart will be desperate for confidence-boosting points here, with games against fellow strugglers Fortuna Sittard and Cambuur to come.

FC Twente Eredivisie form:

W

L

W

W

D

L

FC Twente form (all competitions):

D

L

W

W

D

L

Vitesse Eredivisie form:

L

L

D

W

L

D

Team News

Influential midfielder Michal Sadilek will miss out once again, after sustaining a groin injury in a defeat to Volendam in late August, while attacking midfielder Sem Steijn remains sidelined with an ankle problem, picked up in the same game.

Spanish defender Julio Pleguezuelo managed some minutes against Heerenveen last time out, and could be back in contention after a six-game injury lay off, while on-loan Norwich City winger Christos Tzolis could also make a return.

For Vitesse, Mitchell Dijks is yet to make an appearance since joining the club in the summer, and looks likely to sit this one out too, as he recovers from knee surgery. Otherwise, it looks to be a clean bill of health for Phillip Cocu's men.

New striker Bartosz Bialek, signed on loan from Wolfsburg, scored his first goal for the club in that defeat to Heerenveen, and should start up top again here, keeping last season's seven-goal striker Nikolai Baden Frederiksen out of the side once again.

FC Twente possible starting lineup:

Unnerstall; Smal, Propper, Hilgers, Brenet; Kjolo, Vlap, Zerrouki; Tzolis, Van Wolfswinkel, Cerny

Vitesse possible starting lineup:

Scherpen, Arcus, Flamingo, Meulensteen, Cornelisse, Wittek; Bero, Tronstad, Kozlowski, Vidovic; Bialek

We say: FC Twente 3-1 Vitesse

A return to De Grolsch Veste should signify a return to winning ways for FC Twente, up against an inconsistent side who are still finding their feet after a summer of change.

Phillip Coco might inspire some 'new manager bounce', but the hosts should be too strong to allow a debut victory for the new head coach.

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