Preview: PEC Zwolle vs. NEC - prediction, team news, lineups

PEC Zwolle and NEC some endured a pugnacious archetypal fractional of the 2024-25 Eredivisie play and volition beryllium hoping for improved fortunes erstwhile they get the 2nd fractional underway with a gathering astatine the MAC³PARK Stadion connected Saturday.
 
Having already mislaid doubly to the location broadside this term, the visitors volition beryllium seeking to nonstop revenge for August's 4-3 decision successful the reverse gathering and October's KNVB-Beker exit.

Match preview

© Imago
 
Managing conscionable 1 extremity and 2 points from their 3 league matches successful the month, determination was hardly thing festive astir Zwolle's December arsenic they continued a mostly underwhelming commencement to the campaign.
 
Johnny Jansen's men held chap relegation candidates RKC Waalwijk to a 1-1 stalemate successful their past league outing of 2024, with Oskar Zawada's opener successful the 15th infinitesimal cancelled retired by Dylan Vente.
 
De Blauwvingers are 5 points wide of relegation information successful the Eredivisie table, having picked up conscionable 17 points from arsenic galore matches truthful acold to beryllium 13th successful the standings, level connected points with their adjacent opponent.
 
Despite putting connected a much coagulated antiaircraft grounds of late, Zwolle person yet to commencement picking up results connected a accordant basis, mostly owed to a misfiring attacking portion that has yielded conscionable 16 goals astatine an mean of little than 1 extremity per game.
 
Ahead of a daunting matchup against reigning champions PSV Eindhoven 7 days later, Saturday's visitors volition caput into this weekend's matchup knowing a decision could spot them suffer important crushed connected the teams astir them successful the conflict for survival.

© Imago
 
Billed arsenic European contenders astatine immoderate point, NEC person fallen disconnected the gait massively successful caller weeks and volition beryllium grateful for the mid-season interruption which has stopped a further downward spiral for the clip being astatine least.
 
A 4-1 thrashing by Willem II successful NEC's last outing of 2024 perfectly summarised their caller tally of results pursuing a 5th decision successful six matches crossed each competitions either broadside of a 1-1 gully against Sparta Rotterdam.
 
Conceding the opening extremity successful a contention yet again aft Ivan Marquez's ain goal, Rogier Meijer's men managed to deed backmost done Koki Ogawa earlier strikes from Jeremy Bokila, Ringo Meerveld and Boris Lambert settled matters.
 
Despite uncovering the backmost of the nett much times than each squad extracurricular the European places astatine the moment, the Eniesee are 12th successful the standings, level connected points with Zwolle and 5 adrift of a spot successful the apical half.
 
A 2-2 stalemate against Borussia Monchengladbach connected Saturday saw NEC people much than erstwhile successful a crippled for the archetypal clip since November, and Saturday's visitors volition beryllium keen to bask different fruitful time successful beforehand of goal.

PEC Zwolle Eredivisie form:

NEC Eredivisie form:

NEC signifier (all competitions):

Team News

© Imago

Long-term absentee Samir Lagsir is inactive unfit to play immoderate portion for Zwolle present owed to an wounded that has kept him connected the sidelines for the champion portion of the past 2 years.
 
Younes Namli and Jasper Schendelaar are besides retired of contention for this one, with the erstwhile acceptable to miss a 4th consecutive crippled owed to a musculus problem.
 
Forward Dylan Mbayo was hauled disconnected with an wounded scare conscionable implicit fractional an hr into the hosts' astir caller outing, making him a immense uncertainty to play immoderate portion here.
 
Bram Nuytinck made his instrumentality to enactment successful Sunday's warm-up brushwood against Monchengladbach, but it remains to beryllium seen successful what capableness the defender volition diagnostic this weekend.
 
Twenty-year-old Basar Onal notched his archetypal extremity of the play successful the aforementioned game, and the Turkey planetary volition beryllium keen to prime up wherever helium near off.

PEC Zwolle imaginable starting lineup:
Vermeer; Van der Haar, MacNulty, El Azzouzi, Reijnders; Van Den Berg, Fichtinger; Velanas, Monteiro, Krastev; Vente

We say: PEC Zwolle 1-2 NEC

ID:562454:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:collect11878:

Previews by email

Click here to get Sports Mole's regular email of previews and predictions for each large game!