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FC Utrecht
Eredivisie | Gameweek 8
Oct 5, 2024 at 8pm UK
Stadion Galgenwaard
Waalwijk logo

Utrecht
3 - 2
RKC Waalwijk

Viergever (28'), Aaronson (51'), Min (52')
Ohio (85')
FT(HT: 1-1)
Cleonise (2'), Margaret (80' pen.)
Meijers (26')

Preview: FC Utrecht vs. RKC Waalwijk - prediction, team news, lineups

Sports Mole previews Saturday's Eredivisie clash between FC Utrecht and RKC Waalwijk, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.

The final match on Saturday night in the Eredivisie will see high-flying FC Utrecht look to continue their impressive league record when they take on a struggling RKC Waalwijk at Stadion Galgenwaard.

The hosts have shot out the starting gate this season and are currently in second place in the league standings, while the visitors are rooted to the bottom of the table, still searching for their first point.


Match preview

Paxten Aaronson of FC Utrecht celebrates after scoring on October 2, 2024© Imago

Utrecht mean business this season, as they prepare to enter gameweek eight with 16 points to their name, five fewer than league leaders PSV, though they have played a game less than the defending champions.

Six games into the new campaign and Utreg have already notched up five wins, with their only dropped points to date coming in a 1-1 draw away to Heerenveen back in gameweek two when Jacob Trenskow found a late goal to cancel out Ole Romeny's opener.

Since then, though, Ron Jans's men have rattled off four wins in a row, beating NAC, Twente, Willem II and AZ, scoring two or more goals in each of those victories, though they also failed to keep a clean sheet during that period.

At Stadion Galgenwaard, Domstedelingen have won all three of their matches this season and have only suffered defeat at this venue in two of their last 19 league games, winning 12 and drawing five of the remaining 17.

The last time these sides met, they played to a 2-2 draw, which extended Utrecht's unbeaten run against this opponent to eight games in a row, including three wins and five draws dating back to March 2020.

Yassin Oukili dejected after the lost game, during the match RKC - Ajax on October 2, 2024© Imago

Meanwhile, just two months into the league season and RKC Waalwijk are already the out-and-out favourites to be relegated this term, according to the vast majority of bookmakers globally.

Indeed, RKC have made the worst possible start to the season imaginable, losing each of their first seven games in a row, with the most recent defeat coming at home to Ajax last weekend (2-0).

That result extended their winless streak in the top flight to nine, dating back to the start of May, while it was also the eighth league match on the bounce that the side had conceded two or more goals.

Perhaps the greater concern for an under-pressure Henk Fraser, though, will be that his side have only managed to find the back of the net three times themselves and only once in three away games this season.

FC Utrecht Eredivisie form:

RKC Waalwijk Eredivisie form:


Team News

Utrecht head coach Ron Jans on August 1, 2024© Imago

Former Manchester United midfielder Zidane Iqbal sustained an injury while on international duty with Iraq last month and is only expected to return to action after the next international break.

He will be joined on the sidelines this weekend by Alonzo Engwanda (muscle), Silas Andersen (knock), Niklas Vesterlund (knee) and Kevin Gadellaa (knee), all of whom are also ruled out through injury.

RKC Waalwijk are expected to be without just two players for this weekend's trip to Utrecht, with Nouri El Harmazi and Richard van der Venne both ruled out due to a shoulder and knee injury respectively.

Van der Venne's injury in particular has been a major blow to the visitors this season, as he scored two goals in the side's first two matches. Chris Lokesa is the most likely to operate in the number 10 role in his absence.


FC Utrecht possible starting lineup:
Barkas; Horemans, Van der Hoorn, Viergever, El Karouani; Fraulo, Bozdogan; Cathline, Toornstra, Romeny; Min

RKC Waalwijk possible starting lineup:
Houwen; Lelieveld, Van Gelderen, Van den Buijs, Familia-Castillo; Weidmann, Oukili, Cleonise, Lokesa; Van de Loo, Zawada


SM words green background

We say: FC Utrecht 2-0 RKC Waalwijk

Both these sides have completely contrasting records this season, and with seven losses in a row, it is difficult to make much of a case for RKC Waalwijk in this one. Utrecht have picked up four wins on the bounce ahead of this match and we feel they will extend that record with another victory on Saturday.



For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.




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Written by
Devesh Jaganath

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Game History

How you voted: Utrecht vs RKC Waalwijk

FC Utrecht
94.9%
Draw
2.6%
RKC Waalwijk
2.6%
39
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Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1PSV EindhovenPSV15140156124442
2FC UtrechtUtrecht1511222920935
3Ajax15103232161633
4Feyenoord1595135161932
5FC Twente1584330201028
6AZ AlkmaarAZ1582528161226
7NAC BredaNAC Breda157171723-622
8Go Ahead Eagles156362523221
9Willem II165471718-119
10Fortuna SittardSittard155461721-419
11Heerenveen155371628-1218
12NECNijmegen155192119216
13PEC Zwolle164481525-1016
14Groningen154471424-1016
15Heracles153571628-1214
16Sparta RotterdamSparta152581323-1011
17RKC WaalwijkRKC Waalwijk1513111537-226
18Almere CityAlmere City151311734-276


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