Stuttering Groningen welcome NEC for round 22 of Eredivisie this weekend, aiming for a crucial win to steer clear of the drop zone.
The Pride of the North find themselves in a precarious position, sitting just one point above the relegation playoff spot, having collected 21 points from 21 matches.
Match preview
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Groningen's struggles continued last weekend as they suffered a 1-0 defeat against Sparta Rotterdam in what was a crucial relegation battle, extending their winless run to two matches.
De FC will surely rue a missed opportunity in that contest, with Leandro Bacuna failing to convert a penalty in the 52nd minute before Tobias Lauritsen struck the decisive blow eight minutes later, condemning Dick Lukkien's men to their 10th defeat of the campaign.
Before that setback, Groningen had ended a four-match drought with a 1-0 victory over Heerenveen, but their latest slip raises concerns of another prolonged struggle without a win.
Having returned to the top flight this season after just a year in the second tier, the newly promoted side are desperate to avoid a repeat of 2022-23, when they finished rock bottom and dropped out of the division.
Pride of the North will hope to start on the right foot this weekend, though their last home meeting with NEC ended in a 1-0 defeat, a result that does not bode well.
Even so, Groningen can take heart from their recent form at Euroborg, where they have won three of their last five matches while remaining unbeaten in that run.
In those encounters, Trots van het Noorden have kept clean sheets across the board, a defensive resilience they will look to draw upon as Lukkien's side seek to reignite their survival push and create some breathing room above the drop zone.
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The past few weeks have been a period of resurgence for NEC, who have now gone three games without defeat, having previously endured a turbulent run of six winless competitive matches consisting of five defeats and one draw.
After grinding out a hard-fought win on their trip to PEC Zwolle, followed by an emphatic triumph over Fortuna Sittard, the Nijmegen side's resolve was put to the test against league leaders PSV Eindhoven last weekend.
In that encounter, NEC had found themselves trailing 3-1 deep into stoppage time, but two quickfire goals from Kento Shiogai and Bryan Linssen in the 90th and 95th minutes, respectively, saw Rogier Meijer's side complete a dramatic comeback.
That result leaves the Nijmegen outfit 11th in the Eredivisie standings with 24 points, four above 16th-placed Sparta, though they are within touching distance of a European playoff spot, trailing eighth-placed Fortuna by just two points despite playing a game less.
With momentum on their side, NEC have the opportunity to secure just their second league double over Groningen, having swept Lukkien's men aside with a resounding 6-0 victory in the reverse fixture.
Meijer's men could also record three straight victories over the home side for the first time ever, though their struggles on the road remain a concern, having won just three in the top flight, with their nine points from a possible 27, leaving the Nijemegen side with the eighth-worst away record in the division.
Team News
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The home side will be without Marvin Peersman, who is ruled out with a broken foot until early May, while Fofin Turay remains a doubt as he continues his recovery from an achilles tendon injury, though the 20-year-old winger is yet to feature this season.
Lukkien has kept faith with Brynjolfur Andersen Willumsson to spearhead the attack in recent matches, and the 24-year-old could retain his place for a sixth consecutive league game as he looks to end his three-match drought.
NEC have no reported injury concerns for their trip to Groningen, leaving Meijer with a fully fit squad at his disposal, and the manager could opt for an unchanged lineup from their previous outing.
The Nijmegen outfit have seen 20 of their goals come from Sami Ouaissa, Vito van Crooij, Sontje Hansen and Koki Ogawa, with all four expected to feature again, while the latter — the team's top league scorer with seven — should continue to lead the line.
Groningen possible starting lineup:
Vaessen; Prins, Blokzijl, Ekdal, Bacuna; Resink, Hove; Valente, Oosting, Seuntjens; Willumsson
NEC possible starting lineup:
Roefs; Pereira, Marquez, Sandler, Verdonk; Proper, Hoedemakers; Ouaissa, Crooij, Hansen; Ogawa
We say: Groningen 1-1 NEC
Groningen's strong home form, built on defensive solidity, gives them a fighting chance, while NEC, buoyed by their recent success against the hosts and their current form, enters with added confidence, setting the stage for a tight, low-scoring draw.
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Adeyeye Oluwapelumi
