We do not have confirmed lineups or formations from the brief, but we can make educated guesses based on how these sides usually set up. Heerenveen, under their current coaching staff, have typically favoured a 4-3-3 or a 4-2-3-1, looking to press high and play through the wings. They will want to use the energy of the Abe Lenstra Stadion, a ground that can be a fortress when the crowd gets behind them. But that high line and that aggressive press is exactly what Twente will look to exploit. Twente, on the other hand, are likely to stick with their usual 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3, with a solid double pivot that allows their full-backs to bomb forward. They are not a side that sits deep; they control possession, they move the ball quickly, and they have runners in the half-spaces who can knife through any defensive line.

The key battle will be in midfield. Heerenveen will try to disrupt Twente's rhythm, to turn the game into a dogfight, to make it scrappy. But Twente have the quality to play through that pressure. Their recent 6-0 win was built on quick, incisive passing and clinical finishing. If they can replicate even half of that sharpness, Heerenveen's back line will be in for a long afternoon. Set pieces could also be a factor — Twente are a tall, physical side, and if they get a few corners, they will fancy their chances against a Heerenveen defence that looked vulnerable in the air against Volos.