Twente 2-0 PSV: Theo Janssen Double Strike Sends Champions Top

Theo Janssen’s scored both goals as reigning champions FC Twente moved about PSV to take top spot in the Eredivisie with just five games remaining. Michel Preud’homme’s men were excellent value for their win in the Grolsche Veste and thoroughly outplayed PSV, particularly in the second half.

Perhaps wary of aggravating an injury picked up during international duty, Twente did not start American Oguchi Onyewu.

Yet Twente broke the deadlock from the penalty spot on the hour, thanks to another CONCACAF player who did not start.

Star man Bryan Ruiz, who has been out for a month, had only been on a few minutes, but he made an instant impact. The Costa Rican broke into the penalty area before being hauled down by Marcelo. Theo Janssen stepped up and sent Isaksson the wrong way to notch up his second successful spot-kick of the campaign.

Janssen then made sure of the three points with a wonderful individual effort. The cultured midfielder displayed a rare surge of pace as he soared down the inside left channel. After shaking off the last defender, he kept his cool to audaciously chip a stranded Isaksson, finding the back of the net in the process.

The first real chance of the game after eleven minutes brought controversy as Luuk De Jong’s header, which looked to be heading in, was scrambled away by Jeremain Lens. The home fans and players alike felt that the striker had used his hands but no decision was forthcoming from referee Kevin Blom and his assistants.

PSV were not too dangerous until the seventeenth minute when Balazs Dzsudzsak found the correct angle for the cross and picked out Otman Bakkal who volleyed the ball wide on his left foot. Three minutes later, Marcus Berg beat the Twente offside trap but he shot straight at the onrushing Nikolai Mihaylov.

There was an exciting end to the first-half as both sides pressed for a goal. Five minutes before the break Marcus Berg shot straight at Mihaylov after losing his footing at the wrong time before Otman Bakkal volleyed a Dzsudzsak cross wide. De Jong was then denied twice more – first when Atiba Hutchison headed off the line and then when Andreas Isaksson kicked his stoppage time effort away.

The second half started in exciting fashion when Swedish winger Emir Bajrami’s shot was smartly tipped onto the post by Isakssson before the home crowd was lifted by the introduction of Bryan Ruiz on the hour. The home side found the woodwork again as they pressed for a second when Denny Landzaat’s low shot struck the post.

De Tukkers move into first place, just one point about Fred Rutten’s men. Both sides are at home next weekend as Twente host Roda and PSV take on Heerenveen on Sunday.