Groningen vs NEC - prediction, team news, lineups

Two sides who could bash good with a triumph spell caput to caput successful the penultimate circular of the Eredivisie arsenic Groningen play big to NEC astatine the Euroborg Stadium connected Sunday.

While the Trots van het Noorden volition beryllium looking to ascent into the apical fractional of the table, the visitors find themselves successful a three-horse contention for the Champions League playoff summons and indispensable debar immoderate slip-ups successful their last 2 games.

Match preview

What seemed similar a resurgent spell astatine the concern extremity of the play has started to unravel for Groningen, who suffered a 2nd consecutive decision past Saturday erstwhile they were beaten 3-2 by Excelsior astatine the Euroborg Stadium.

Tika de Jonge and Younes Taha scored connected either broadside of Casper Widell’s 40th-minute equaliser to enactment Groningen successful beforehand heading into the last 30 minutes, but Derensili Sanches Fernandes restored parity for Excelsior earlier Gyan de Regt finished disconnected a well-worked squad extremity successful the 90th infinitesimal to implicit the comeback.

Since going 4 consecutive matches without decision betwixt March 7 and April 4, racking up 10 points from a imaginable 12, Dick Lukkien’s men person failed to sensation triumph successful their consequent 3 games, playing retired a goalless gully with Go Ahead Eagles connected April 11 earlier suffering back-to-back losses against Feyenoord and Excelsior.

Despite their caller drop-off successful form, Groningen stay firmly successful the contention for a spot successful the Conference League playoffs, arsenic they beryllium 10th successful the Eredivisie table with 42 points from 32 games, 1 constituent down ninth-placed Sparta Rotterdam.

However, adjacent up is the stern situation of an opposing broadside who are unbeaten successful 8 of the past 10 meetings betwixt the 2 teams, picking up six wins and 2 draws since September 2020.

It has been a hard fewer weeks for NEC Nijmegen, who suffered a immense stroke successful their propulsion for the automatic Champions League summons past Saturday erstwhile they played retired a 1-1 gully with Telstar connected location turf.

Nijmegen men were made to rue their wasteful show successful beforehand of extremity astatine the Stadion de Goffert, with Sem van Duijn burying a close-range decorativeness successful the 32nd infinitesimal to enactment Telstar successful beforehand earlier Tjaronn Chery deed backmost successful the 85th infinitesimal to assistance the hosts salvage a point.

While this weekend’s visitors are unbeaten successful 7 consecutive Eredivisie games, they person dropped 2 points successful 4 of their past 5 outings, playing retired consecutive stalemates against Heerenveen, Feyenoord, Twente and astir precocious Telstar, a tally which has each but ended realistic chances of a top-two finish.

Coming disconnected the backmost of an eighth-placed decorativeness past season, it has been a stellar run nether caput manager Dick Schreuder, who has the Gelderland outfit connected people for a first-ever Champions League qualification successful his debut play astatine the helm.

Nijmegen person picked up 15 wins and 11 draws from their 32 matches to beryllium 3rd successful the Eredivisie table, 5 points down second-placed Feyenoord successful the automatic UCL places and 1 constituent supra fourth-placed Ajax successful the Europa League qualifying spot.

Schreuder besides guided Nijmegen to the KNVB Beker last — their archetypal home cupful last quality since the 2023-2024 run — but they fell abbreviated astatine the hands of AZ Alkmaar, suffering a humbling 5-1 decision erstwhile the 2 sides met astatine the Stadion Feijenoord connected April 19.

Groningen Eredivisie form:

NEC Eredivisie form:

NEC signifier (all competitions):

Team News

Groningen stay without the services of Dutch midfielder Stije Resnik, who has missed each of the past 7 matches since suffering a genu wounded against Volendam connected March 1.

He is joined connected Trots van het Noorden's wounded array by Polish striker Oskar Zawada, who had been retired of enactment since sustaining an limb wounded against Ajax backmost successful March.

Experienced goalkeeper Hidde Jurjus was omitted from the squad against Excelsior past clip retired and the 32-year-old is simply a large uncertainty for this weekend’s hosts.

As for Nijmegen, Basra Onal is acceptable to beryllium retired his 3rd consecutive crippled since coming disconnected injured against AZ Alkmaar connected April 19, portion teenage goalkeeper Freek Entius continues his lengthy spell connected the sidelines done a genu injury.

With 11 goals and 7 assists nether his loop this season, Bryan Linssen has been a standout performer for the Gelderland outfit, and aft enduring a comparatively quiescent outing against Telstar past clip out, the 35-year-old volition look to present the goods erstwhile again.

Groningen imaginable starting lineup:

Vaessen; Rente, Blokzijl, Janse, Peersman; De Jonge, Land; Taha, Van der Werff, Schreuders; Van Bergen

NEC imaginable starting lineup:

Crettaz; Fonville, Nuytinck, Dasa; Lebreton, Nejasmic, Sandler, Ouaissa; Linssen, Sano, Chery

We say: Groningen 0-2 NEC

A tally of 2 consecutive defeats has seen Groningen clang backmost to world successful the mid-tables, and portion they volition beryllium looking to find their feet connected Sunday, they are successful for different pugnacious 90 minutes against a Nijmegen broadside successful a heated contention with Ajax and Twente for the UCL playoff ticket.

Schreuder's men person been rock-solid connected their travels, wherever they boast the second-best constituent tally this season, and having picked up 4 wins successful their past 5 games against Groningen, we are backing them to travel distant with a constrictive triumph this weekend.

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