FC Twente came from behind to beat Pafos 3-1 at De Grolsch Veste in the first-ever meeting between the two sides – a result which maintains their perfect start to the league phase of this season’s UEFA Conference League.
Fresh from an incredible 9-0 win over Excelsior in the Eredivisie last weekend, the first clear-cut chance of the game fell to the hosts after 11 minutes when Bart van Rooij’s delivery into the box picked out Wout Weghorst perfectly, but his close-range effort was somehow kept out by Radoslaw Majecki to keep the score goalless.
The vast majority of the first half was a dull spectacle, though, with Twente dominating possession but failing to convert that into many meaningful opportunities in the final third against a well-organised Pafos defensive line.
It was Pafos, though, who broke the deadlock in style after 40 minutes, when a sensational 25-yard strike from Lele flew past Joel Drommel and into the back of the net to stun the home supporters.
The opening stages of the second half carried on in the same vein as the first period, with Twente having plenty of time on the ball but struggling to display any creativity in the final third.
However, the contest opened up significantly just after the hour mark. Lele had a huge opportunity to double Pafos’ advantage, but his initial effort was saved by Drommel before his rebound was blazed over the crossbar.
Straight afterwards, John van den Brom’s side levelled the match from a set-piece, as Ruud Nijstad headed home Daouda Weidmann’s free-kick delivery into the box.
Remarkably, Pafos should have edged back in front just a minute later when a headed effort from Lele in a great position was kept out by Drommel. To make matters worse for the Brazilian striker, he was then sent off shortly afterwards for a second yellow card after committing a cynical foul.
With an extra man advantage, all the momentum was with Twente and Majecki needed to be at his best at his near post to palm away Weidmann’s stinging effort. Pafos could not handle the extra pressure after going down to 10 men, and Sondre Orjasaeter slotted the ball into the back of the net with a composed finish after meeting Younes Taha’s exquisite through ball.
At this point, Pafos had crumbled, and Weidmann was on hand to score from eight yards out after 82 minutes to seal the match and claim all three points for the Dutch outfit.
This result leaves Pafos still searching for their first league phase victory and extends their winless run in all competitions to six matches. Meanwhile, with three wins from three, Twente have given themselves a great chance of qualifying for the knockout phase and will look to record another win in Europe when they travel to SC Freiburg in three weeks’ time.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Daouda Weidmann (FC Twente)
Check the full match statistics on Flashscore