FC TWENTE 1 ABERDEEN 0
Saturday 4 July 2026
Sportcomplex GFC, Goor
Attendance: 1,600 (100 AFC)
Dutch side FC Twente inflicted a narrow 1-0 defeat on Aberdeen in the Dons’ toughestpre-season workout, an afternoon that showed some real moments of promise or Stephe Robinson’s outfit.
It was a bright start from Aberdeen, Brad Lyons spearing a ball across the face of goal from the left, forcing Unnerstall into a reflex save to claw the ball away inside 30 seconds.
Twente began to settle into things and Dimitar Mitov was quickly down to cut out Van Rooij’s cross in the 11th minute.
The Dons responded with some sharp one touch football down the right winning a 14th minute corner. From the flag kick, Mayo headed over the bar.
Aberdeen were on the break in the 21st minute, Topi Keskinen finding Kevin Nisbet, but his shot across goal from a wide angle was too close to Unnerstall.
The game resumed after a hydration break – but the interruption changed the flow of the game.
FC Twente got forward soon afterwards through the impressive former Juventus man Marko Pjaca and his shot was too much for Mitov to handle low to his left.
His parry fell nicely for Vennegoor of Hesselink who was following in to slot his side into a 31st minute lead.
The same player almost had a second three minutes later, lobbing Mitov from a tight angle, but Briedl was on hand to clear off the line.
Good play from Tony Yogane down the left hand side won the Dons a corner as we headed into added time, but Keskinen’s ball in managed to elude everyone.
HALF-TIME: FC TWENTE 1 ABERDEEN 0
The Dons made their first changes at the break. Mitov, Nisbet and Lyons were replaced by Nick Suman, Afeez Aremu and Toyosi Olusanya, while FC Twente changed their entire team. Former Rangers man Lammers was one of the newcomers, and within a minute he was on the charge, smacking a shot into the side netting.
Straight up the other end, a rapid press by Olusanya robbed goalkeeper Gerritsen of the ball, but with the goal at his mercy, he slashed his shot over the bar.
Lammers drew a good save from Suman in the 57th minute, the FC Twente man striking a first time shot on the turn from 20 yards, Suman saving well to his right.
Aberdeen’s next changes came on 62, Connor Ronan, Yonge and Dan Happe making way for Kenan Bilalovic, Jack Milne and Findlay Marshall.
At the hydration break five minutes later, Dylan Lobban, Alfie Stewart, Ante Palaversa and Mitchel Frame replaced Briedl, Keskinen, Nicky Devlin and Gavin Molloy.
Marshall showed his potential in the 74th minute, robbing the hosts on the halfway line and powering forward before his shot from the edge of the box was deflected up into the goalkeeper’s hands.
Moments later, Frame did really well to deny Lammers as he looked like he had a tap-in at the back post following a left wing cross, the full-back getting an important touch on the ball.
Weldmann had a chance in the 79th minute, onto the ball 15 yards out, but he drove his shot across goal and wide.
A driving run into the box from Olusanya five minutes later culminated in him being upended by Nijstad. It looked like a penalty but instead, the referee gave a corner. The flag kick reached Lobban on the edge of the box, but his jab at goal was deflected wide.
Devlin returned to the action for Mayo in the 86th minute.
FC Twente could have had a second goal in the 88th minute. Initially Suman made a good save from a shot from distance, but the Dutch side were able to recycle the ball to Lammers, who blazed his shot over the bar from ten yards out.
Bilalovic was replaced by Lyons as the game headed into added time. ABERDEEN: Mitov (Suman 46), Devlin (Lobban 67), Happe (Milne 62), Briedl (Palaversa 67), Molloy (Frame 67), Yogane (Bilalovic 62 (Lyons 90)), Lyons (Aremu 46), Mayo (Devlin 86), Ronan (Marshall 62), Keskinen (Stewart 67), Nisbet (Olusanya 46).
Subs not used: Vitols, Armstrong.
FC TWENTE
First half: Unnerstall, Kjolo, Pjaca, Hlynsson, Taha, Lemkin, Kurowski, Vennegoor of Hesselink, Nagel, Van Rooij, Meilink.
Second half: Gerritsen, Lammers, Rots, Peixoto, Huster, Van den Belt, Orjasaeter, Adelgaard, Bruns, Weidmann, Nijstad.
GOAL: Vennegoor of Hesselink (31)
