Preview: Heracles vs. Sparta Rotterdam - prediction, team news, lineups

Matchday 18 of the 2024-25 Eredivisie play sees Heracles and Sparta Rotterdam spell caput to caput astatine the Erve Asito connected Saturday day successful a crunch relegation six-pointer.
 
A torrid extremity to 2024 has near the teams presently embroiled successful a frenetic conflict for survival, and each constituent dropped from present connected retired could beryllium costly to their top-flight status.

Match preview

© Imago
 
Having ended past play with conscionable 1 constituent from their last 5 games, Heracles could spot the handwriting firmly connected the partition that a turbulent run was connected the skyline if nary drastic measures were taken.
 
Failing to triumph immoderate of their opening 5 games this term, Erwin van de Looi's men continued to conflict for results but ended September with consecutive victories against NEC Nijmegen and Heerenveen.
 
However, that proved to beryllium lone a impermanent reprieve, with De Poupers managing conscionable 1 triumph from their 9 matches since past to beryllium 15th successful the Eredivisie table, 2 points wide of the driblet zone, albeit with a crippled successful hand.
 
Heracles were poised to marque their numerical vantage number successful December's clash against Groningen which was ended 15 minutes from clip owed to information concerns stemming from the distant end.
 
Unbeaten successful 7 of their past 8 location matches, Saturday's hosts volition request to proceed being hard to bushed successful beforehand of their fans if they are to propulsion distant from the teams astir them successful what is shaping up to beryllium a frenetic relegation scrap.

© Imago
 
After a near-perfect pre-season circular of matches that yielded 7 wins and a gully from 8 matches, Sparta kicked disconnected the caller run with the upwind successful their sails but needed 4 attempts to prime up their archetypal triumph disconnected the backmost of 3 consecutive stalemates.
 
De Kasteelheren continued to stroke blistery and acold which yet led to the dismissal of Jeroen Rijsdijk successful favour of Maurice Steijn for a 2nd spell astatine Het Kasteel, wherever helium antecedently managed betwixt April 2022 and June 2023.
 
Steijn's instrumentality has, however, not had the desired effect, with Sparta losing six of his 7 matches successful charge, astir precocious a 2-0 decision to Ajax conscionable earlier the mid-season hiatus courtesy of goals successful the last 13 minutes from Kenneth Taylor and Bertrand Traore.
 
A tally of 12 points from 17 matches this word has Sparta presently 16th successful the standings up of the upcoming travel to an opposing crushed wherever they person emerged victorious connected each of their past 3 visits.
 
In the archetypal of 2 consecutive crunch clashes astatine the bottommost for Saturday's visitors, the Rotterdam-based outfit could truly bash with each 3 points this play earlier playing big to RKC Waalwijk adjacent Sunday.

Heracles Eredivisie form:

Heracles signifier (all competitions):

Sparta Rotterdam Eredivisie form:

Sparta Rotterdam signifier (all competitions):

Team News

© Imago

Nikolai Laursen volition not play immoderate portion for Heracles present arsenic helium continues his spell connected the sidelines with a genu problem.
 
Twenty-three-year-old Sava-Arangel Cestic volition besides miss Saturday's clash owed to an ankle occupation and is joined connected the hosts' attraction array by Stijn Bultman.
 
Justin Hoogma precocious made his instrumentality to enactment from a caput injury, though the 26-year-old defender is not expected to beryllium handed a starting relation here.
 
Jonathan de Guzman featured successful each but 2 of Sparta's league matches past play but has made conscionable 1 quality this word owed to a niggling wounded problem.
 
Thirty-year-old Said Bakari is simply a large uncertainty for the distant broadside aft having to travel disconnected successful the last knockings of the 2-0 decision to Ajax conscionable earlier Christmas.

Heracles imaginable starting lineup:
De Keijzer; Benita, Mirani, Mesik, Milani; Podgoreanu, Scheperman, De Keersmaecker, Engels; Hornkamp, Kulenovic

We say: Heracles 1-1 Sparta Rotterdam

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