Twente Coach Praises Performance of Mees Hilgers and Teammates in Holding MU to a Draw

Jakarta, Todaysgist.com – FC Twente coach Joseph Oosting praised the performance of the defender who is currently undergoing naturalization to become an Indonesian National Team player, Mees Hilgers, and his colleagues after drawing 1-1 against Manchester United (MU) in the Europa League match on Thursday (26/9/2024) early morning WIB.

As reported on the official website of the Eredivisie club on Thursday (26/9/3034), Oosting revealed that Twente was able to show a solid performance both in defense and attack throughout the match.

This match, Oosting explained, was about coordination and courage. The team was not only brave in attacking, but also brave in defending. The 52-year-old coach said that Twente’s defense was very solid.

Oosting also admitted that he was very proud of his players who appeared compact and were not at all afraid even though they were playing at the Premier League club’s headquarters.

According to the former RKC Waalwijk coach, FC Twente successfully limited the movement of MU players who have high technical abilities. Instead of passively defending, Oosting directed his team to press the opponent because he realized that the players of the club nicknamed the Red Devils tended to perform less than optimally when under pressure. This strategy proved effective and resulted in goals.

“If we wait too long, the opponents will get chances because their individual skills are very good. However, by pressing them, we can force them to make mistakes. Tactically, we played very well throughout the match,” he explained.

FC Twente managed to hold hosts Manchester United to a 1-1 draw in the 2024-2025 Europa League match at Old Trafford Stadium. MU had taken the lead in the 35th minute through Christian Eriksen’s right-footed shot.

However, in the 68th minute, Eriksen made a mistake in controlling the ball which was exploited by FC Twente striker Sam Lammers to score the equalizer.

According to statistical data from Opta, FC Twente played more effectively by scoring one goal from seven attempts, while MU made 19 attempts.

In terms of defense, FC Twente is superior with a successful tackle percentage of 65%, while MU is 62.5%. The Dutch club also recorded 25 ball blocks. This number is more than the host who only recorded 16 blocks.

In terms of individuals, the statistics site Fotmob gave the title of best player in the defensive aspect to Mees Hilgers among all the players who appeared in the match. The football site Whoscores.com also gave a rating of 7.1 for the performance of the 23-year-old player.

Fotmob noted that Mees made 16 defensive actions, including two interceptions, three ball recoveries, two blocks, and eight clearances. Mees is in second place in the player performance rating list. The player who received the highest score in the Twente camp was striker Sam Lamers who received 7.4.