Preview: FC Twente vs Motherwell – prediction, team news, lineups.

FC Twente and Motherwell will play a friendly match on Tuesday evening to kick off their preseason preparations for the 2025-26 season.

The Reds nearly missed out on European football last season, losing 3-2 in the playoff final to AZ Alkmaar, while the Steelmen finished seventh in the Scottish Premiership.

Match preview

FC Twente has continuously contended for a European spot in the Eredivisie in recent years, finishing in the top six in each of the last four seasons. Despite this, the Reds have only made it past the qualification rounds and competed in a major European event once, losing to Bodo/Glimt in the Europa League knockout round in 2024-25.

Joseph Oosting’s side will be out of European competition in 2025-26 after losing 3-2 to AZ Alkmaar in the Eredivisie playoff final, wasting a 2-0 lead and conceding a heartbreaking 93rd-minute goal.

The Reds will face Motherwell in their first pre-season friendly as they prepare for a season in which Twente hopes to move into the Eredivisie’s automatic qualification positions.

Motherwell are hoping to get to grips with new manager Jens Berthel Askou’s tactical approach, after the former IFK Goteborg coach was named permanent manager following Michael Wimmer’s surprise resignation at the end of the season.

Wimmer having only been Motherwell’s manager since February 2025, and despite winning five of his 12 league games, the German left to join SSV Jahn Regensburg.

 

Askou will be aiming for his players to master his tactical system ahead of the new season, while the Danish coach hopes to guide Motherwell to their first top-half finish in the Scottish Premiership since finishing sixth in 2021-22.

The Steelmen finished seventh in the 2024-25 pre-split campaign, two points behind the top six, and Motherwell expects another difficult challenge for a top half finish next season.

 

Team News

 

 

Following FC Twente’s humiliating setback to AZ Alkmaar, Oosting may choose to use a similar team in this game to give his side a chance to regroup.

Sem Steijn, last season’s top performance, scored 31 goals and assisted eight in all competitions, but now that he has agreed to join Feyenoord, Arno Verschueren could start in offensive midfield.

Motherwell’s brilliant teenager Lennon Miller has been heavily linked with a move elsewhere in the summer, but the midfielder could play in this game despite the fact that no agreement has been reached. Elliot Watt, the Steelmen’s first confirmed addition in the summer window, could pair the kid with Andy Halliday in the midfield three.

Meanwhile, because this is Berthel Askou’s first match in charge of Motherwell, the rest of the team is difficult to anticipate, with multiple changes expected as the new manager gets to know his group.

Tyton; Rooij, Hilgers, Bruns, and Kuipers; Kjolo and Van den Belt; Rots, Verschueren, and Vlap; Van Wolfswinkel

Motherwell possible starting lineup:

Oxborough; Koutroumbis, O’Donnell, McGhee, Wilson; Halliday, Watt; Slattery, Miller, Sparrow; and Ebiye

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