Sparta Rotterdam vs PEC Zwolle - prediction, team news, lineups

Sparta Rotterdam and PEC Zwolle unfastened circular 5 of the 2025-26 Eredivisie run with a clash astatine Het Kasteel connected Friday night.

Separated by conscionable 1 constituent and a azygous spot successful the table, some sides person endured underwhelming starts to the play and are successful request of a win.

Match preview

After salvaging a precocious 3-3 gully against Utrecht, Sparta suffered stoppage-time heartbreak past Saturday, falling 2-1 to Excelsior arsenic Nesto Groen struck successful the 92nd infinitesimal to seal their fate.

New manager Rogier Meijer has endured a challenging commencement to beingness successful Rotterdam since returning to the Eredivisie from NEC successful June 2025. Still, the 44-year-old's acquisition astatine this level suggests helium volition stay composed amid aboriginal setbacks.

Meijer’s adjacent trial comes against a Zwolle broadside helium is unbeaten against successful 7 erstwhile meetings (W4, D3), though Sparta themselves person struggled successful this fixture, failing to triumph immoderate of the past 5 encounters and losing three.

De Kasteelheren’s location signifier has besides been poor, with conscionable 1 triumph from their past 8 league games. Since the commencement of April, they person collected lone six points from 10 matches, underlining their caller struggles.

With a daunting fixture against the reigning champions looming aft Friday, the location broadside volition anticipation to regain immoderate momentum earlier heading to Eindhoven for what promises to beryllium their toughest trial of the play truthful far.

PEC Zwolle ended past play among the bottommost 4 teams for points implicit the last 5 gameweeks, finishing conscionable 1 spot supra the driblet zone. Their sluggish commencement to the existent run has truthful travel arsenic small surprise.

The determination to clasp Henry van der Vegt aft a disappointing run raised eyebrows among the Zwolle faithful, and the Dutchman is present nether accrued scrutiny pursuing Saturday’s 4-1 decision to NEC Nijmegen.

Only Telstar person scored less Eredivisie goals this play than De Blauwvingers’ three, with past season’s apical scorer Koen Kostons liable for each but one.

Zwolle beryllium 13th successful the array up of their travel to Sparta, wherever they are unbeaten successful their past 3 visits, collecting 5 points from a imaginable nine.

Like their hosts, the distant broadside besides look a challenging circular six fixture against Feyenoord, making Friday’s contention adjacent much important arsenic they question a morale-boosting result.

Zwolle person opened the scoring successful 4 of their past 5 meetings with Sparta but person besides conceded the archetypal extremity successful 8 of their past 10 matches, highlighting a inclination to commencement slowly.

Sparta Rotterdam Eredivisie form:

PEC Zwolle Eredivisie form:

Team News

Twenty-year-old Robin van Cruijsen was forced disconnected with wounded successful Sparta’s past outing and is simply a uncertainty for Friday’s match.

If van Cruijsen is deemed unfit, Casper Terho is expected to travel into the starting XI for his 3rd commencement of the season.

Milan Zonneveld has scored successful each of his past 2 appearances for Sparta and is acceptable to clasp his spot successful the lineup pursuing Nokkvi Thorisson’s departure.

Jan Burgen volition person to hold for his Zwolle debut arsenic helium continues to retrieve from an wounded that sidelined him for overmuch of past season.

Younes Namli remains a definite absentee for the visitors, having not featured since April owed to a genu injury.

Sparta Rotterdam imaginable starting lineup:

Bednarek; Martes, Verschuren, Martins Indi, Kuipers; Baas, Young; Van Bergen, Terho, Mito; Zonneveld

PEC Zwolle imaginable starting lineup:

Schendelaar; Floranus, Viergever, Graves, Aertssen; Sommer, Thomas; Cissoko, Oosting, Mbayo; Kostons

We say: Sparta Rotterdam 2-1 PEC Zwolle

Zwolle’s triumph implicit Heerenveen 2 weeks agone was their archetypal league distant triumph successful implicit a year, underlining their struggles connected the road.

While Sparta person not been peculiarly beardown astatine home, we expect them to bash capable to assertion each 3 points connected Friday.

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