Twente Revive Europa League Campaign with Narrow 3-2 Victory Over Malmo FF

FC Twente kept their Europa League hopes alive with a thrilling 3-2 win over Malmo FF in Sweden, setting up a decisive final matchday.

FC Twente breathed new life into their Europa League campaign with a hard-fought 3-2 victory over Swedish champions Malmo FF in Sweden. The win keeps Twente's hopes of advancing in the competition alive, setting up a thrilling conclusion to their group stage campaign.

Malmo FF's rustiness was evident in the early stages of the match, having not played a competitive fixture since their previous Europa League outing before the winter break. Twente seized the initiative, capitalizing on Malmo's slow start to take the lead through Sem Steijn's penalty. Steijn calmly rolled the ball home from the spot after Gabriel Busanello was penalized for bundling Daan Rots to the ground inside the area.

The goal seemed to spark Malmo FF into life, as they began to exert pressure on the Twente defense. Busanello fired a shot wide from just outside the box, but Malmo's persistence eventually paid off. Lasse Berg Johnsen's effort from distance took a significant deflection, wrong-footing Twente goalkeeper Lars Unnerstall and sneaking into the net to level the score.

Malmo FF's brief resurgence was short-lived, as they conceded two goals early in the second half, allowing Twente to regain control of the match. Ricky van Wolfswinkel restored Twente's lead with a composed penalty kick just after the hour mark, showcasing his veteran composure.

Twente further extended their advantage just three minutes later, as Gustaf Lagerbielke scored with a powerful header from Michal Sadílek's precise corner kick. Lagerbielke's goal seemed to have put the match out of reach for Malmo FF, but the hosts refused to give up.

🎥 𝐒𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 | 𝗪𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗠𝗮𝗹𝗺ö

📺 https://t.co/ElE6Fo6Jq4#FCTwente | @EuropaLeague pic.twitter.com/nwsC9z3Ymg

— FC Twente (@fctwente) January 23, 2025

With 10 minutes remaining, Anders Christiansen sparked a grandstand finish for Malmo FF, creating space for himself inside the 18-yard box before unleashing a driven shot that reduced the deficit to one goal. However, despite their late push, Malmo FF were unable to find an equalizer, effectively ending their European campaign for the season.

In contrast, Twente's victory has reignited their hopes of advancing in the Europa League. Despite starting their campaign with six winless matches, Twente will enter the final matchday with a potential route to the knockouts still available to them, keeping their European ambitions alive.