The final match at MAC³PARK Stadion in the 2023-24 Eredivisie season will see PEC Zwolle playing host to Europa League hopefuls FC Twente on Sunday afternoon.
The hosts have successfully avoided a return to the Eerste Divisie this season, while the visitors are one win away from securing their place in Europe next term.
Match preview
After finishing second to Heracles in the first division last season, PEC Zwolle have emerged as the best of the newly promoted teams this season, two points ahead of Almere and four clear of HAFC.
Following a dismal run of six losses in seven games between the end of February and March, the Blauwvingers managed to turn things around ahead of the run-in, losing only once in their last five league games, which was against the outgoing champions Feyenoord.
Aside from that defeat, Johnny Jansen's side beat Excelsior and Heracles 2-1 and 3-1, respectively, while playing out draws against NEC and, most recently, 1-1 away to RKC Waalwijk last weekend.
Against RKC, Lennart Thy gave his side the lead at the hour mark, and they looked as though they were going to go on to claim all three points before Zico Buurmeester was sent off three minutes from the full-time whistle. Richonell Margaret found an equaliser for the hosts just two minutes later.
Zwolle have won their last two league games at home, but they now face a Twente side that beat them 3-1 in the reverse fixture, marking their third consecutive win in this fixture dating back to December 2021.
Meanwhile, after missing out on European qualification last season, Twente will not suffer the same fate this term, as the worst they can do is finish in fourth place, which will still grant them entry to the Conference League qualifiers.
However, they will have loftier ambitions, as they will secure Europa League qualification with a victory in this match, and on paper, they have a significantly easier match than their closest rivals AZ Alkmaar, who play host to seventh-placed Utrecht on the final day.
The Tukkers will also enter this contest brimming with confidence after completely dismantling relegated Volendam 7-2 last week, a result which was easily their biggest margin of victory in the league this term.
While Joseph Oosting's side have failed to win any of their last four away games during the run-in, including three losses and a draw, it is worth noting that those three defeats came against PSV, Ajax and AZ.
Twente's Europa League hopes are now firmly in their own hands, and while a draw may still be enough to see them finish third, they will not want to leave anything to chance, considering they are only one goal better off than AZ.
Team News
Samir Lagsir has missed the entire season for Zwolle with a knee injury sustained in February last year, but reports suggest he could return to action for the side during the 2024-25 pre-season.
Ryan Thomas and Nick Fichtinger are both out for the foreseeable future with a cruciate ligament injury and a fractured leg respectively, while Kaj de Rooij and Ferdy Druijf are flagged as doubts. Buurmeester will miss the final game of the season through suspension.
Michel Vlap returned to the bench for Twente in their commanding victory over Volendam last week following a short stint on the sidelines, and he will be hoping to make the starting 11 in this one.
Sem Steijn took the lead in the club's top goalscorer standings with a hat-trick last week and is now two clear of Ricky van Wolfswinkel on 15 goals for the season. The pair are almost certain to lead the line in this match.
PEC Zwolle possible starting lineup:
Hauptmeijer; Van Polen, Kersten, Lam, MacNulty; El Azzouzi, Van den Berg, Krastev, Velanas, Namli; Thy
FC Twente possible starting lineup:
Unnerstall; Regeer, Hilgers, Propper, Smal; Kjolo, Sadilek, Rots, Unuvar; Steijn, Van Wolfswinkel
We say: PEC Zwolle 1-3 FC Twente
While Zwolle have strung together a positive run of results in the last month of the campaign, they now face a Twente side that are just one win away from booking their place in next season's Europa League. The visitors are coming off the back of a massive performance against Volendam last week, and we feel they will manage another comfortable victory in this one.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Devesh Jaganath
