Groningen vs. FC Utrecht - prediction, team news, lineups

Anthony Correia takes complaint of FC Utrecht for the archetypal clip successful a competitory fixture, aiming to unafraid a affirmative matchday 1 effect successful the Eredivisie.

The erstwhile Telstar brag has replaced Ron Jans, pursuing the 67-year-old's retirement, and Utreg question to Euroborg looking to widen their nine-year unbeaten tally distant astatine Sunday's hosts.

Match preview

Dick Lukkien's men finished past play successful mid-table, with the manager keeping the Pride of the North successful the Eredivisie for different play aft securing the club's promotion successful 2024 aft their 3rd relegation a twelvemonth earlier.

Guaranteed to enactment successful the part for the 3rd twelvemonth running, the FC adjacent played their portion successful the European play-offs astatine the extremity of the erstwhile season, yet falling to eventual winners Ajax successful the semi-finals.

Aiming to commencement the caller play strongly, Groningen's tune-up matches were acold from convincing, arsenic they failed to triumph 5 successful 7 matches, losing four.

While the FC admittedly kept 2 cleanable sheets successful their last 3 preparatory matches, 5 matches without a shutout is undeniably a worry, particularly erstwhile 1 of their losses came against relegated FC Volendam, whom they mislaid to 4-0 astatine the extremity of past month.

They did adjacent retired with a 1-0 occurrence implicit Real Valladolid, acold from perfect mentation for momentum, but thing to clasp connected to up of a fixture successful which they seldom unafraid a win.

Indeed, not since 2017 person Groningen defeated Utrecht astatine Euroborg, a fixture that strikingly came successful August that year.

The Cupfighters, though, anticipation to widen that nine-year tally connected Sunday, adjacent if they look a conflict to debar disappointment if their dearth of attacking prime continues this weekend.

In six matches, they failed to people much than 1 extremity successful four, portion firing blanks successful three, highlighting their evident deficiency of attacking quality.

The past 2 defeats person deflated immoderate momentum that Correia's men had aft beating Varen Nagasaki 3-2.

It volition past beryllium absorbing to spot if they prolong their undefeated streak successful this fixture, which they person won successful 3 consecutive years, albeit with a brace of 2-1 victories sandwiching a 1-0 occurrence 2 years ago.

Groningen friendlies form:

FC Utrecht friendlies form:

Team News

Stije Resink and Malcom Jeng are missing owed to genu and Achilles injuries, respectively.

Thom van Bergen scored conscionable erstwhile successful pre-season, albeit it came successful their last tune-up fixture against Real Valladolid, but past season's nine-goal antheral seeks a beardown commencement to this term.

Younes Taha has returned to FC Twente aft past season's loan, ridding Groningen of their starring assistance prima (nine) from 2025-26, arsenic they question creativity elsewhere.

The distant broadside person importantly much injuries to woody with, arsenic Milano Jonathans, Noah Ohio, Victor Jensen, Oualid Agougil and Alonzo Engwanda are each missing.

With eight-goal Gijvai Zechiel present astatine Feyenoord and effectual left-back Souffian El Karouani moving to Qatari nine Al-Qadsiah, Correia's occupation has got each the much challenging.

Still, Dani De Wit and David Min volition look to prime up the final-third work for the Cupfighters for the season, having been progressive successful 10 and 5 goals past season.

Groningen imaginable starting lineup:

Vaessen; Schreuders, Rente, Blokzijl, Prins; De Jonge, Land; Van der Werff, Clement, Hernes; Van Bergen

FC Utrecht imaginable starting lineup:

Barkas; Vesterlund, Didden, Eerdhuijzen, Zagree; Horemans, Van Overeem; Alarcon, De Wit, Cathline; Min

We say: Groningen 1-1 FC Utrecht

Although Utrecht boast an bonzer nine-year unbeaten grounds astatine Euroborg, their extended wounded database and caller pre-season struggles suggest Correia faces a pugnacious duty successful his archetypal competitory game.

Groningen person hardly acceptable the satellite alight during their ain tune-up fixtures, meaning a hard-fought gully appears the astir apt result for 2 sides inactive searching for rhythm.

For information investigation of the astir apt results, scorelines and much for this lucifer delight click here.