Yanga 2 - 2 Graafschap (390249257)

Clear skies welcomed the 39048 spectators who had made their way to Yanga Arena. Josep Llinares was the appointed referee with assistance provided by Orell Python and Jorge Alcaraz. Yanga started off with a 4-4-2 lineup. The following players took the field: Simov - Ezinger, van der Star, Gortemaker, Keller - Iñiguez Lafuente, Biritz, Moerman, 国平 (Guoping) - Usowicz, Muikku.

Graafschap had chosen a strategic 3-5-2 formation. Lineup: Klepper - Zoet, van Weeren, Delger - Schalij, Vossers, van Vorselen, Zilkens, Ziezenis - Kranenburg, Cappilli.

Using their counter-attacking abilities was the strategy of choice for Yanga. With 11 minutes played K. Muikku almost gave the home side the lead with an unexpected free kick set up, but the visitors' D. Klepper was onto it, grabbing the would be breakthrough ball. 罗. 国平 (Guoping) caused the crowd to go mental with his goal up the middle after 19 minutes. This gave Yanga the 1 - 0 lead. The referee showed Graafschap's E. van Weeren the yellow card after a particularly nasty challenge. E. van der Star showed his inexperience when he failed to anticipate the bounce of a high ball, allowing Graafschap's P. Kranenburg to take advantage and place a shot into the bottom corner of the goal. 1 - 1. J. Schalij had a good try after 37 minutes, coming in on a fine move from the left, but the ball went wide. After 39 minutes, a deliberate handball from Graafschap's E. van Weeren was judged to be his second bookable offence, and he was sent off. Down the middle came W. Ziezenis, making a fantastic play that nearly had Graafschap take the lead after 40 minutes, but R. Simov preserved the tie. A lovely run by Graafschap's W. Ziezenis left his markers for dead and should have resulted in a goal, but the finish went just wide. A mistake by the home side's central defence after 43 minutes allowed J. van Vorselen to score for Graafschap. The scoreboard now read 1 - 2. 曹. 长福 (Changfu) was called on to replace Graafschap's W. Zoet after 43 minutes following a nasty collision. The teams went for the halftime break at 1 - 2. Possession was split evenly between the teams.

With 52 minutes played, M. Delger nearly put the visitors another one up as he broke through in the middle and fired from just outside the box, but his shot passed just over the bar. Graafschap's P. Kranenburg got himself booked for a foul. Yanga's K. Iñiguez Lafuente put his head to a well placed ball, lifted in from the left, and scored to make the score 2 - 2 with 59 minutes showing on the scoreboard clock. 61 minutes into the game, W. Ziezenis was a hair's breadth away from giving Graafschap the lead with a shot from over on the left. A prompt block by R. Simov saved the home team that time. Graafschap claimed to have seen most of the ball, and the statistics agreed with them - possession being 52 percent.

Yanga's best player was K. Iñiguez Lafuente. On the other hand, E. van der Star's play was disheartening. G. Cappilli performed admirably for Graafschap. 曹. 长福 (Changfu) turned in a dismal performance, however. The match ends 2 - 2.