Groningen vs Twente

Groningen welcome Twente to the Euroborg on Sunday afternoon for an Eredivisie Round 5 encounter shaped heavily by the hosts’ mounting defensive injury list. Kick‑off on 6 September 2026 is scheduled for 12:15 CEST in Groningen, where a leaky back line threatens to undermine an otherwise encouraging start to the campaign.

Team News and Injury Latest

Dick Lukkien will be without at least four defenders for the visit of Twente. Malcolm Jeng has been nursed through an Achilles tendon problem and remains a day‑to‑day doubt, while Marco Rente is not expected back until mid‑September. Tyrique Mercera and Ryan Metu are both rated as absent through the early part of September, leaving the Groningen boss with an almost completely rebuilt rearguard. Goalkeeper Luuk Koopmans, midfielder Alhaji Bah and attacker David Stockbrink are all fit and likely to be central to the home gameplan.

Twente meanwhile will finalise the departure of centre‑back Mees Hilgers before the weekend. The Indonesia international has been in a long‑running contract dispute, separated from first‑team training and is now close to joining SC Heerenveen after recovering from a cruciate ligament injury. His exit strips Twente of a player who, when available, had been a key part of their defensive structure.

Groningen Form Guide

The Green and White Army began the season with back‑to‑back wins – a 2‑1 success against Utrecht and a 4‑1 thrashing of ADO Den Haag away – but have since shipped eight goals in two outings. A 5‑1 reverse at PSV on 23 August was followed by a 3‑2 home defeat to Fortuna Sittard, a result that left them sitting on six points from four matches. The sudden defensive fragility will be the overriding concern as a Twente side that consistently competes for European places rolls into town.

Key Battle: Groningen’s Makeshift Defence vs Twente’s Attack

With Jeng, Rente, Mercera and Metu all absent, Groningen are likely to field a patched‑up back line that has already been exposed by PSV and Fortuna Sittard. Twente’s forward unit – accustomed to testing the best defences in the division – will target the spaces that those injuries have opened. How well the inexperienced back four can cope with the movement and physicality of the visitors’ frontline could determine whether Groningen stay in the contest.