Good afternoon! On this sunny Saturday, FC Groningen will experience a grand scoop. The team will play their first official match against Almere City FC this afternoon.
For those who will find the afternoon even more special, it is for midfielder Stije Resink who officially made the switch from Almere to Groningen yesterday afternoon.
While the Almerearen are in the right row in seventeenth place, the Pride of the North is in a beautiful third place in the Eredivisie after three undefeated matches. Will the next three points be picked up in Almere this afternoon?
The final whistle sounds. FC Groningen returns home with just one point.
90+4′ Oosting tries a low shot from just outside the sixteen, but the keeper can easily pick up the ball. The final whistle will sound in a moment.
90′ There will be five minutes of added time. Will it be enough for FC?
85′ Thom van Bergen leaves the field for Thijs Oosting. FC Groningen meanwhile moves more and more forward and presses Almere.
76′ With fifteen minutes left on the clock, Almere is still level. Although FC has started playing considerably better, the Groningers have not yet managed to completely pull the match towards them. The search for a second goal is still in full swing.
67′ The captain does it! On an assist from Marvin Peersman, Leandro Bacuna heads FC level. 1-1.
65′ FC Groningen is going to make substitutions. Finn Stam leaves the field with a yellow card and is replaced by Wouter Prins. Brynjólfur Willumsson is also allowed to enter the field and replaces Romano Postema.
57′ Thom van Bergen is close to Bakker’s goal twice, but the Almere team put just enough pressure on both occasions. Despite this, the Groningen team starts playing more football at the beginning of the second half.
50′ Romano Postema almost saves FC from a clean sheet. After a long attack, the ball comes to the attacker via a high pass, but his couple goes over.
46′ Almere City gets the ball rolling again. The second half is underway.
It is peace. The game that FC Groningen wants to play, they have not been able to show in the first half. Will the team from the north be able to turn it around after the break?
43′ Just before half-time Almere manages to break out. Whatever FC tries, every possible attack is repelled and shots on goal are still lacking. After the Yanmar Stadium has watched FC Groningen’s attempted attack for a while, Almere manages to get a shot with a quick counter. Vaessen tips the shot over. A few seconds later, the whistle is called for offside. Will FC be able to surprise before half-time?
31′ After half an hour of play, FC Groningen has still not fired any shots at Almere’s goal. The home team keeps the field small and puts a lot of pressure defensively. Although the Groningen team has the most possession, they find it difficult to escape from the defensive pressure of the Almere team.
17′ The Groningers seem to be very impressed by the early goal of the home team. The green-whites do not know how to create a really dangerous offensive, while Almere repeatedly appear in front of Vaessen’s goal.
8′ Almere takes the lead… 1-0. After minutes of fumbling at the back, the ball finally ends up with Baptiste Guillaume. The striker takes a shot and works the ball into the bottom left corner with relative ease.
1′ The first whistle in Almere sounds. We’re off!
FC Groningen line-up: Etienne Vaessen; Leandro Bacuna, Marco Rente, Marvin Peersman, Finn tribe; Jorg Schreuders, Johan Hove, Tika de Jonge, Luciano Valente; Romano Postema, Thom van Bergen.
Almere City FC line-up: Baker; Akujobi, Jacobs, Visus, Zagaritis; Alex Balboa, Captain of the Camp; Guillaume, Robinet, Mastoir; Hansen.
Referee:
