Match Focus: Key Creators Go Head to Head as Twente Host Vitesse

The last five years, for many onlookers, have felt like a new era in the Eredivisie symbolised by egalitarianism and competition. In other words a level-playing field – to a certain extent – has emerged. "Every three points is hard-fought," as Ron Jans, manager of PEC Zwolle, says.

With a quarter of the season left to be played, the top four are separated by five points, the next four clubs separated by four points and the bottom 10 separated by eight points. A title race with four combatants, in this day and age, is beneficial to any top-flight. Another reason for such competitiveness is the youth factor. In a time of austerity clubs have put even more emphasis on promoting from within or signing emerging talent. The average age of an Eredivisie team is 24.

Without wanting to paint it as the perfect league that it isn't, as Ajax showed at the back-end of last season when they strolled to the finishing line, Frank de Boer's side are expected to make it a four-peat but their inability to protect leads – dropping four points at Utrecht and Zwolle – has kept things interesting.

One side that has benefited is FC Twente, Ajax’s nearest challenger. As testing months go the one Twente are enduring is up there. The club from Enschede will play their game in hand away to FC Groningen on Wednesday - their fourth game in the space of 10 days. If they win the gap to leaders Ajax will be just two points. A few days later they face the first of two pulsating home matches before February is done: Vitesse followed by Feyenoord. Peter Bosz's men, also in the title frame, will test their mettle. The ingredients are there to make it a wonderful advertisement for Dutch football.

Naysayers frequently question the quality, describing it as a 'Mickey Mouse league' due to its closeness and lack of world-class names, which is a grossly unfair assessment. The rapid globalisation of the game over the last two decades has seen the complexion of the Eredivisie change, but its unique selling point – the flourishing of young talents – remains. It's easy to forget the Netherlands is a nation rich in tradition with its own unique culture and identity. As you travel the length and breadth of the country every club has its own story but they all share one common trait: a steadfast belief in attacking football.

 
"Dutch teams have personality," Arsène Wenger told De Telegraaf. Twente and Vitesse, currently second and fourth, play with endeavour and purpose which has made them pleasing on the eye. Twente have been the more productive, scoring 51 goals, with Vitesse a further five behind; since their opening day blank at home to RKC Waalwijk they've failed to score in just one game, it just so happened to be in Arnhem.

Both teams are conscious when it comes to possession – two of four teams to average more than 55% per game – and love to control the game in the opposition's half. Very few games are decided before a ball is kicked and this contest between two evenly matched teams is one of them. It could go two ways: both could cancel each other out or there may be goals aplenty from an aesthetic point-of-view, though there's enough talent on show to make it a spectacle either way.

It will also see the league's two finest playmakers – Dušan Tadić (7.81) and Lucas Piazon (7.62) – go head-to-head. Their influence is paramount. No players in the Eredivisie have created more chances: Tadić (88) and Piazon (61). It comes as no surprise then that the Serb has provided the most assists (11). Not only are they their respective side's most influential players, but they've been used similarly, deployed out wide – as a forward on the left – with licence to cut inside and showcase their playmaking attributes.

Tadić, however, has recently taken up a deep-lying forward role where his strongest traits – foresight, vision, spatial awareness and passing – really come to the fore. Piazon, nonetheless, continues to drift from the flank, and though he's not complaining, in recent weeks the toil seems to have taken its toll. Twente, though, won't be underestimating him. Much will rest on their shoulders but neither will do it alone – even if their teammates look to them – both have a strong supporting cast. In the top 40 highest rated Eredivisie players from WhoScored.com, 10 play for either Twente or Vitesse.

Michel Jansen, despite their position, has played down the championship, instead focusing on a top-four finish, but few are convinced by his words. Momentum is everything and Twente have shown the capability of winning three or four successive games. It also helps, as they've experienced in Eindhoven, that the Eredivisie is an unforgiving league, where regardless of form or stature teams can take points off each other. In addition, their remaining games this season, like Vitesse, are all in the league having been knocked out of the cup and had no European distraction. Bosz, like Jansen, has also been playing down expectations – to ease pressure – ironically their recent slump (a run of four games without a win) strengthened his case.

A title charge wasn't on the menu for either club at the start of the season. Jansen, on arrival last summer, stressed Twente – champions in 2010 – are rebuilding after losing pivotal first-teamers Nikolay Mihaylov, Nacer Chadli, Douglas and Leroy Fer. Back-to-back victories this week would put them on top, albeit for less than 24 hours, and more than anything it will confirm that they're on the right path.

Who will come out on top when Twente host Vitesse this weekend? Let us know in the comments below