Heracles will welcome FC Twente to the Asito Stadion on Sunday for an important game at both ends of the Eredivisie table.
The visitors sit a single point outside the top four, while their hosts lead the relegation playoff place by four points.
Match preview
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Heracles head back into action at the Asito Stadion on Sunday aiming to move further clear of the threat of relegation on their return from the last international break of the season.
After a tough first half to the campaign, in which they earned just 14 points from their 16 league outings in 2024, they gave their survival hopes a major boost with an improved run early in the new year, beginning with a six-match unbeaten streak including two victories.
While the Heraclieden did go on to lose two of their next three games at the hands of Ajax and Fortuna Sittard, they broke those up with another crucial three-point haul in early March, as Brian De Keersmaecker, Thomas Bruns, Juho Talvitie and Jizz Hornkamp fired them to a 4-2 home triumph over PEC Zwolle.
That saw Erwin van de Looi's side make it eight home games unbeaten dating back to the beginning of November, before they most recently set out to rebound from their latest setback before the break away at Heerenveen, eventually drawing 1-1 as Hornkamp's opener was cancelled out by a Marcus Linday leveller.
Now sitting 13th and four points above the relegation playoff playoff place with eight games remaining thanks to their improved run in recent months, Heracles will aim to extend their hot streak at the Asito Stadion on Sunday and further extend their lead in the final run-in.
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They face a tough test, though, as the visitors arrive hoping to crack the top four after suffering a somewhat rare defeat before the break.
Aiming to build on last season's third-placed Eredivisie finish, their highest since 2011, FC Twente have enjoyed another strong campaign, as a six-game unbeaten streak between early February and early March saw them sitting fourth on 46 points from 25 outings, having won 13 of those and only lost five.
That run culminated in a 1-0 home triumph over Almere City thanks to Sem Steijn's first-half goal, making it six straight victories at De Grolsch Veste, before they hosted then-fifth-placed Feyenoord in the final game before the international break.
Joseph Oosting's side would fall short and suffer a first home defeat of the season in that game, though, as Steijn was only able to reduce their deficits to 3-1 and 5-2 before Aymen Sliti wrapped up a 6-2 away win in injury time.
Having dropped to fifth spot as a result of that defeat, but remaining just a single point behind Feyenoord and three behind third-placed Utrecht, Twente will aim to bounce back on their return to action and strengthen their European hopes with a 14th league win of the term.
Team News
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Heracles could be unchanged from their away draw with Heerenveen before the break, with Luka Kulenovic, Sava-Arangel Cestic, Lorenzo Milani, Nicolai Laursen and Robin Mantel likely remaining sidelined by injuries.
In the absence of Kulenovic, who leads the squad with eight goals in just 16 league appearances this term, Jizz Hornkamp will continue to lead the line in their 4-2-3-1 setup.
He should again have support from the trio of Juho Talvitie, Thomas Bruns and Suf Podgoreanu, while Sem Scheperman will hope to continue alongside mainstay Brian De Keersmaecker in the engine room.
FC Twente will likely remain without defender Gerald Alders and veteran forward Ricky van Wolfswinkel due to ongoing injuries on Sunday, and Joseph Oosting may opt to make several changes to his starting XI after their 6-2 thrashing before the break.
Sem Steijn is bound to play a starring role in the attack again, though, with his brace in that defeat taking him to 26 goals for the season and 22 in 25 Eredivisie appearances, 10 more than the division's second-top scorer.
If Sam Lammers also remains sidelined alongside van Wolfswinkel, Daan Rots should again operate ahead of Steijn in their own 4-2-3-1 shape, while Alec Van Hoorenbeeck may join Celtic loanee Gustaf Lagerbielke in the middle of the defence in place of Mees Hilgers.
Heracles possible starting lineup:
De Keijzer; Wieckhoff, Mirani, Mesik, Rots; Scheperman, De Keersmaecker; Talvitie, Bruns, Podgoreanu; Hornkamp
FC Twente possible starting lineup:
Unnerstall; Van Rooij, Van Hoorenbeeck, Lagerbielke, Kuipers; Verschueren, Bruns; Booth, Stein, Vlap; Rots
We say: Heracles 1-1 FC Twente
Boosted by an upturn in form before the international break, and boasting a particularly strong home record having not been beaten at the Asito Stadion in over five months, we back Heracles to take a share of the spoils against a dangerous FC Twente side on Sunday.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Sam Varley
