Go Ahead Eagles vs. Willem II - prediction, team news, lineups

Back successful the Eredivisie aft 1 twelvemonth away, Willem II sojourn Go Ahead Eagles connected Saturday, aiming to commencement the run strongly.

While thing volition beryllium decided connected matchday one, the returnees question to De Adelaarshorst, alert of the dangers of looking retired of their depth, but they anticipation to transportation their decent-to-good pre-season signifier into this weekend's opener successful Deventer.

Match preview

No sooner had the play ended for Go Ahead Eagles than Melvin Boel was fixed the heave-ho, his aboriginal June dismissal calling clip connected the manager's clip astatine the nine days shy of his archetypal day successful charge.

Having claimed the KNVB Cup and secured a spot successful the apical 7 the twelvemonth before, Boel's squad could lone negociate to extremity 12th successful 2025-26, portion they exited aft the league signifier of the Europa League and were eliminated successful the cupful by relegation-threatened Telstar successful the quarter-finals, adjacent if a repetition of their 2024-25 home cupful heroics was far-fetched.

Still, losing to a broadside that battled to past past word was a setback, but it was a bottom-half league lasting that perchance sealed Boel's destiny successful Deventer.

At the helm present is Joseph Oosting, who has overseen a pre-season successful which Kowet were undeniably streaky, with a trio of wins — including a 23-0 occurrence implicit SV Terwolde — and back-to-back wins implicit OFI Crete and Luton Town sandwiched betwixt 3-0 and 2-1 losses to Apollon and Lommel.

The timing of their caller victories astatine slightest gives the Pride of IJssel immoderate momentum heading into their competitory bow nether the caller antheral successful charge, who bids to extremity Go Ahead Eagles' five-match winless tally to extremity the erstwhile season.

Facing the returning Willem II should airs challenges, particularly if the visiting broadside amusement the battling qualities that steered them backmost to the apical part aft 1 twelvemonth away.

Appointed aft Superkruiken's relegation, John Stegeman instantly enactment them successful a promising presumption to instrumentality arsenic they ended 3rd successful the Eerste Divisie.

What followed was a tense quarter-final necktie to bushed RKC Waalwijk, overcoming Almere City successful the semis and coming done a nail-biting last connected penalties to nonstop Volendam backmost to the 2nd tier.

Those victories person sent Willem II backmost wherever they judge they belong, up of Saturday's opener astatine a crushed wherever they person not won since November 2016, albeit lone 2 visits to Deventer person happened since their 1-0 occurrence a decennary ago.

Aiming to commencement the play with the close mindset, Stegeman takes his broadside to De Adelaarshorst connected a three-match unbeaten tally successful pre-season, caller disconnected consecutive triumphs against Mechelen and OFI, arsenic they look to beryllium they beryllium astatine this level.

Go Ahead Eagles friendlies form:

Willem II friendlies form:

Team News

Likely absent for the hosts are defenders Gerrit Nauber and Pim Saathof, arsenic good arsenic midfield youngster Robin Weijenberg, owing to leg, genu and genu injuries, respectively.

Only Mathis Suray ended with double-digit goalscoring numbers past season, but hardly sparkled successful pre-season, scoring lone successful the 23-0 occurrence implicit Terwolde.

One subordinate whose signifier has impressed is January signing Stefan Ingi Sigurdarson, whose archetypal pre-season with Kowet produced 5 goals successful 5 appearances.

The visitors' final-third protagonists — Devin Haen and Thomas Verheydt — scored 18 and 10 goals successful the 2nd tier successful 25-26, and they look to beryllium arsenic productive successful the apical division.

Having netted successful consecutive games earlier this weekend's opener, a motivated Haen strives to people for the 3rd crippled moving against Go Ahead Eagles.

Anass Zerrouk has not played since March and volition beryllium assessed; however, Jari Schuurman and Amine Lachkar are apt absent from this weekend's squad.

Go Ahead Eagles imaginable starting lineup:

Veerdoni; Sampsted, Dirksen, Kramer, Waayers; Meulensteen, Margaret; Tengstedt, Suray, Edvardsen; Sigurdarson

Willem II imaginable starting lineup:

Didillon; Et-Taibi, Ciranni, Hoogma, Tjoe-A-On; Slory, Van Loon, Van Aalst, Boogaard; Haen, Culum

We say: Go Ahead Eagles 2-1 Willem II

Although the recently promoted visitors get with commendable pre-season momentum, Oosting volition beryllium hopeless to commencement his tenure with a connection triumph astatine De Adelaarshorst.

With Sigurdarson already demonstrating his lethal interaction successful beforehand of goal, the Pride of IJssel should borderline a tightly contested play opener successful Deventer.

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