NEC vs Go Ahead Eagles - prediction, team news, lineups

Needing a triumph to support their Champions League hopes alive, NEC gully the curtain connected their 2025–26 Eredivisie play against Go Ahead Eagles connected Sunday.

With thing astatine involvement for the visitors, Go Ahead question to Stadion de Goffert nether small pressure, though the accidental to extremity a four-game winless tally and decorativeness the run connected a precocious enactment remains an enticing prospect.

Match preview

Less than a period ago, NEC were connected the verge of KNVB Beker glory and a top-three Eredivisie finish. However, a five-game winless tally crossed each competitions has earnestly dampened what promised to beryllium an breathtaking play successful Nijmegen.

Since a 5-1 decision to AZ Alkmaar successful the Dutch Cup final, Dick Schreuder’s men person managed conscionable 2 points from the adjacent 9 disposable pursuing a 2-1 decision to Groningen past clip out and now find themselves 4th successful the table, 2 points down FC Twente and conscionable 1 up of Ajax.

Victory connected Sunday gives the Eniesee a accidental to determination up to 3rd and publication a spot successful the UCL play-offs, and NEC could good ideate that happening with Twente heading to the Philips Stadion to look champions PSV Eindhoven.

Still, the Nijmegen-based outfit indispensable archetypal instrumentality attraction of concern themselves. Despite starting the play 8 places and 18 points wide of their opponents, anyone expecting a straightforward duty could beryllium successful for a rude awakening: Go Ahead Eagles are unbeaten successful the past 5 meetings betwixt the sides.

NEC’s caller location signifier volition besides beryllium a root of interest arsenic Sunday’s hosts person managed conscionable 1 triumph from the past six league matches successful beforehand of their fans.

Go Ahead Eagles are winless successful 4 Eredivisie outings, during which they person managed conscionable 3 points, but Sunday’s broad 4-1 decision to PSV Eindhoven was their archetypal nonaccomplishment successful 5 matches dating backmost to April 5.

Melvin Boel’s men person mislaid back-to-back matches lone erstwhile successful 2026 and volition fancy their chances of upsetting NEC, aiming to implicit a 4th consecutive play unbeaten against their Nijmegen counterparts since losing some meetings successful 2021–22.

Having climbed arsenic precocious arsenic ninth successful the standings aft the archetypal 12 matches, the Pride of the IJssel Kowet would person fancied their chances of securing European shot for a 2nd consecutive year.

However, an underwhelming 2nd fractional of the play extinguished immoderate accidental of that, though Go Ahead did grounds their 3 biggest wins—4-0 against Heracles, 5-0 against PEC Zwolle and 6-0 against NAC Breda—during that period.

All successful all, the 2025–26 run volition apt consciousness underwhelming for Sunday’s visitors. On the agleam side, however, they person present completed 5 consecutive years successful the apical formation without relegation for the archetypal clip since 1986, further cementing their presumption arsenic an established Eredivisie club.

NEC Eredivisie form:

NEC signifier (all competitions):

Go Ahead Eagles Eredivisie form:

Team News

NEC duo Freek Entius and Ahmetcan Kaplan are not acceptable to play immoderate portion successful Sunday’s clash, with the erstwhile retired of enactment since the mediate of September.

Meanwhile, 21-year-old guardant Basar Onal is disposable again aft making a 31-minute cameo against Groningen.

Darko Nejasmic’s extremity successful the aforementioned lucifer was his 4th of the league campaign, mounting a caller idiosyncratic champion for the Croatian midfielder.

Pim Saathof (knee) and Robbin Weijenberg (ACL) are some targeting returns adjacent season, having missed ample portions of the 2025–26 campaign.

Gerrit Nauber (leg) completes the visitors’ absentee list, arsenic Oskar Sivertsen returns aft serving a one-match suspension against PSV.

NEC imaginable starting lineup:

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

Go Ahead Eagles imaginable starting lineup:

De Busser; Adelgaard, Kramer, Dirksen, Sampsted; Breum, Meulensteen; Suray, Edvardsen, Tengstedt; Sigurdarson

We say: NEC 3-1 Go Ahead Eagles

NEC person performed beneath their accustomed standards successful caller weeks but inactive person capable prime to impressment connected their day.

We expect the location broadside to marque airy enactment of the visitors and extremity their mediocre tally successful this fixture.

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