By Jan-Kees Joosse and Catherine MacKenzie (12/9/25)
Above: Jill Roord celebrates her goal. Photo: FC Twente website.
With PSV’s elimination from the UEFA Europa Cup, two club teams from the Netherlands are left in European action. FC Twente are in the final qualifying round for the UEFA Women’s Champions League (UWCL) and Ajax are in the midst of qualifying for the inaugural UEFA Europa Cup. Here, Jan-Kees Joosse and Catherine MacKenzie break down the action from the first legs of these qualifiers.
GKS Katowice 0 – 4 FC Twente
FC Twente Women have taken a huge step toward the UWCL League Phase after a commanding 4-0 victory over GKS Katowice in Poland. The result leaves the return leg in Enschede looking almost like a formality.
The opening phase was evenly balanced, with both sides creating pressure but neither breaking through. Katowice put Twente’s defense under serious pressure for the first 25 minutes, but the Dutch side held firm. Gradually, Twente began to find space, threatening with a dangerous free kick from Alieke Tuin and a stylish long-range effort from Anna Knol. Around the half-hour mark, 18-year-old Sophie Proost broke the deadlock with a shot that deflected off a defender, leaving the goalkeeper helpless: 0-1.
Before halftime, Twente increasingly won balls in midfield, thanks in part to sharp interceptions by Jill Roord and Lynn Groenewegen. Big chances for Alieke Tuin and Jaimy Ravensbergen were denied by the outstanding Katowice goalkeeper Kinga Severynn.
Early in the second half, Twente survived a scare after some sloppy defending, but quickly regained control through a sharp counterattack led by Roord. The Dutch champions continued to press, and after an hour doubled their lead: following a clever build-up involving Ravensbergen and Leonie Vliek, Alieke Tuin smashed the ball into the far corner for 0-2.
Ten minutes later, Ravensbergen punished a defensive mistake. Last season’s Eredivisie top scorer won the ball, set up Roord, and pounced on the rebound herself to make it 0-3. In the closing stages substitute Rose Ivens delivered a pinpoint cross for Roord, who sealed the 0-4 scoreline.
Speaking after the match, Ravensbergen commented on what she saw from the opponents: “I think we were a bit more composed on the ball. We played quite well, playing under them. It was difficult, because we were literally playing against a wall. They played with five at the back. We didn’t really create any chances, but we did have a lot of possession. But possession doesn’t always win you a game. In the second half, we basically played them loose, and then the goals came naturally.”
Ravensbergen does, however, think Katowice will change tack for the second leg: “I think they’ll play differently in the second leg. They were dropping back quite a bit this time. I think they’ll put more pressure on at home. I’m really looking forward to it. We’re 4-0 up, so that’s good.”
With this emphatic away win, FC Twente now hold an excellent position heading into the return leg in Enschede. Barring a major upset, the Tukkers look well on their way to surviving the play-offs once again and securing a place in the prestigious Champions League League Phase.
TEAMS: GKS KATOWICE (3-4-3): Seweryn, Słowińska, Zawadzka, Nowak, Włodarczyk, Kozarzewska, Kaláberová, Kaláberová, Maciążka, Maciążka, Hmírová. Substitutes: Brzęczek (for Kozarzewska 69′), Grzegorczyk, Jaszek (for Słowińska 55′), Langosz, Macała (for Seweryn 73′), Malesa, Michalczyk, Posiewka, Vuškāne.
FC TWENTE (4-3-3): Lemey, Vliek, Carleer, Knol, Tuin, van Ginkel, Roord, Groenewegen, Oude Elberink, Ravensbergen, Proost. Substitutes: Bussman, Diekman, Doeschot, Gelevert, Ivens (for Oude Elberink 73′), Andradóttir, Verdaasdonk, Wiefferink, te Brake, van der Vegt (for Tuin 94′).
Scorers: Proost 0-1 (34′), Tuin 0-2 (63′), Ravensbergen 0-3 (68′), Roord 0-4 (90′).
Referee: Franziska Wildfeuer
Attendance: 1,802
Ajax 2 – 0 SK Sturm Graz
Whilst Twente are making the case for European glory in the UWCL, Ajax are hoping for a European adventure of their own. Last year’s third-placed Eredivisie team are in the final stages of qualifying for a new competition – the Europa Cup. Their first battle? Austrian opponent Sturm.
Anouk Bruil’s side started the game strongly, with chances for both national team captain Sherida Spitse and Netherlands’ U23’s Lotte Keukelaar. With both chances going spare, Sturm gained in confidence, and grew into the game. For large parts of the first half and the early parts of the second, little of consequence occurred as neither team created many clear-cut chances.
Speaking after the game, Bruil commented: “There wasn’t much space in the middle of the pitch. Our tempo was just a bit too slow to really play around that. We struggled with that. What I said at halftime? We mainly showed them where the chances were.”
The first chance of the second half did not come until the 70th minute, when 21-year-old Danique Noordman scored a sublime opener. Receiving the ball from van de Velde on the right wing, Noordman delicately threaded the ball around the Sturm defence alone, beating a number of players to get a shot off on the edge of the box. Her shot ricocheted off the bar and into the net.
The goal gave the home side renewed impetus as Danique Tolhoek came close to adding a second moments later, her effort saved well by the Sturm keeper. In the final moments of the game, Ajax did get their second through substitute Mirte van Koppen, who shot home from close range a mere three minutes after being introduced.
Following the match, Ajax boss Bruil was bullish, commenting that Sturm “were a stubborn team, deep in their own half. Exactly what we expected,” adding that “I wouldn’t want to be the manager of this team.”
The return leg is scheduled for Thursday 18th September at 14:30 BST.
TEAMS: AJAX (4-3-3): van Eijk, van de Velde, van Asten, Noordermeer, De Klonia, Colin, Spitse, Noordman, Van Egmond, Tolhoek, Keukelaar. Substitutes: van Hensbergen (for van Asten 31′), Derks (for Keukelaar 66′), van Koppen (for de Klonia 88′), Nienhuis, van der Vliet, Den Turk, van Oosten, Dostmohamad, Touzani.
Scorers: Noordman 1-0 (68′), van Koppen 2-0 (90′).
STURM (3-5-2): Gritzner, Brandl, Rissenbeck, Petersen, Tragl, Breznik, Maierhofer, Spiess, Grossgasteiger, Jakobsen, Kustrin. Substitutes: Popofsits (for Kustrin 80′), Krajinović (for Brandl 90+1′), Gavrić (for Jakobsen 90+6′), Mazúchová (for Breznik 90+1′), Pasar, Romero, Makalic, Kunštek, Deutsch.
Referee: Milica Milovanović
Attendance: Not available
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