FC Twente knocked out of the Champions League after 3-3 draw with Red Bull Salzburg 

FC Twente have been knocked out of the UEFA Champions League. The club from Enschede fought back from a large deficit against Red Bull Salzburg at home to draw but came up just short: 3-3. Joseph Oosting’s team was beaten 2-1 last week by last season’s second-placed best Austrian side.

FC Twente will continue their European campaign in the UEFA Europa League. The club does not have to go through the last qualifying round and is automatically ensured a spot in the main tournament.

It seemed like Twente was going to have a hopeless night for a long time. Not much happened in the first ten minutes, and the match was reasonably even. Michel Vlap tested goalkeeper Janis Blaswich with a free kick from a distance. Red Bull took over control after this phase. Dutch manager Pepijn Lijnders's team found their way past Twente with ease.

They took the lead in the 17th minute after a good pass by Oscar Gloukh, who scored a hat trick last weekend in the league, found Maurits Kjaergaard, who scored via the underside of the crossbar: 0-1. Kjaergaard also scored twice last week in the match against Twente.

After Moussa Kounfolo Yeo missed a huge chance to double the lead straight after the first goal, they got their second in the 25th minute. Twente’s defence was beaten easily, and Nene Dorgeles beat goalkeeper Lars Unnerstal with a hard shot.

Twente was not showing much danger but still halved the deficit before halftime. It was not surprising that this happened through a set piece. Mees Hilgers headed home from a corner.

All hope was lost at the start of the second half when Mathias Kjølø lost possession of the ball, and Kounfolo Yeo dispatched the chance: 1-3.

Twente did not give up and got a goal back through Alex van Hoorenbeeck, who scored with a header from a corner, just like Hilgers had done in the first half. They needed another two goals to force extra time.

Unnerstall saved the home side 15 minutes before the end when he saved a penalty after Vlap had handballed it.

The final attacks of Twente resulted in the 3-3 from substitute Sem Steijn, but the decisive goal did not come within eight minutes of injury time.