Preview: FC Twente vs Thun - prediction, team news, lineups

Round one of the 2026-27 Conference League sees Eredivisie side FC Twente welcome Swiss Super League outfit Thun to De Grolsch Veste on Thursday.

Both teams are competing in Europe’s third-tier tournament for the first time and will be eager to make an impression.

Match preview

Twente entered the Conference League qualifiers at the third stage after being eliminated from Europa League contention. They initially made light work of DAC 1904 but were in danger of crashing out to Qarabag in the playoffs after a 1-0 first-leg defeat.

With their backs against the wall, John van den Brom’s side responded superbly in the reverse fixture, claiming a 4-1 triumph - a result that sparked an upturn in form and ushered in an eight-game unbeaten run, although their most recent outing was a disappointing 1-1 draw with Fortuna Sittard over the weekend.

That result ended a four-game winning streak for the Tukkers, who failed to capitalise on their dominance in Sittard-Geleen and now sit three points behind Feyenoord at the top of the Eredivisie table.

Back in Europe for the first time since the 2024-25 Europa League, Twente must now contend with the added burden of shorter turnarounds between matches, an obstacle that has proven costly for many sides in the past if not managed carefully.

Thursday’s hosts will hope to fare better than their last continental foray, which ended in a group-stage exit. A winning start in front of their home fans, where they have won five of their last six competitive matches, would undoubtedly help set the tone.

Thun took Swiss football by storm last season, clinching the Super League title on their return to the top flight after a six-year absence and earning themselves a shot at European football.

However, Gian-Luca Privitelli’s men were knocked out of both the Champions League and Europa League qualifiers, with a humbling 9-2 aggregate defeat to Lech Poznan in the latter seeing them drop into the Conference League.

While not as glamorous as initially hoped, featuring in Europe for the first time since 2013 is still a positive for the Oberlanders whose 2026-27 campaign has been a stark contrast to their title-winning exploits just a few months ago.

A 4-2 defeat to Zurich on Saturday means Thun have now lost four of their last five league matches, a dismal run that has left the defending champions 18 points adrift at the top after just 10 games.

Low on confidence and in need of a lift, Thursday’s visitors travel to Enschede with their backs against the wall, and a victory could be the catalyst their season needs for a revival, with Privitelli already under increasing scrutiny just three months into his reign.

FC Twente form (all competitions):

Thun form (all competitions):

Team News

Stav Lemkin has yet to feature for Twente this season and remains sidelined with a muscle injury sustained during pre-season.

Filip Thorvaldsen and Lars Unnerstall are also expected to miss out, though the former is nearing a return to action.

Wout Weghorst has contributed to eight goals (five goals, three assists) in his last seven outings for the hosts, making him one to watch.

Genis Montolio is sidelined with a cruciate ligament injury and is not expected to be available for selection until January 2027.

Forward Marc Gutbub made a bright start to the season with two assists in his first three matches, but has not featured since due to injury.

FC Twente possible starting lineup:

Drommel; Van Rooy, Propper, Mosiak, Adelgaard; Zerrouki, Weidmann; Rots, Taha, Pjaca; Weghorst

Thun possible starting lineup:

Steffen; Strannegard, Bamert, Burgy, Fehr; Ilic, Zoukit, Roth, Maier; Dursun, Braschi

We say: FC Twente 3-0 Thun

Facing an out-of-sorts Thun side at home represents the perfect opportunity for Twente to kick off their Conference League campaign on a positive note, and it is hard to see them passing it up.

We fully expect the hosts to dispatch their visitors with ease and record an emphatic victory.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.