RKC Waalwijk play host to NAC Breda on Sunday looking to continue their improving form in the Eredivisie.
At a time when the home side still sit in 17th position in the table, the visitors are in the relatively-safe position of ninth place.
Match preview
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Having won just one of their opening 19 matches in this season's Eredivisie, there felt an inevitability over relegation for RKC.
However, they returned from the winter break to only lose 2-1 at Ajax, the positives being taken from that performance to collect seven points from their last three outings.
After a 1-1 draw at Sparta Rotterdam, victories have been posted against Willem II and Almere City, the latter taking them four points clear of bottom position.
In the short term, the RKC hierarchy have been rewarded for keeping faith in Henk Fraser, who has the chance to lead RKC to three successive wins in the Eredivisie for the first time since before the coronavirus pandemic.
Each of RKC's eight points at the Mandemakers Stadion during 2024-25 have come in their last five games after starting the campaign with five successive defeats.
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Even when NAC Breda were recording three wins in a row earlier in the season, survival was always the priority for a team that earned promotion last season through an eighth-placed finish in the second tier.
Collecting just four points from their last six games has highlighted that they were punching above their weight, even though they have recently pushed PSV Eindhoven in a five-goal contest.
Their one win in the aforementioned period was also against sixth-placed Twente, while a 1-1 draw at home to Heracles last time out kept things ticking over.
Carl Hoefkens's team are now six points clear of the relegation zone, that only not being a greater advantage due to the resurgence of two of the bottom three.
Team News
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Although the comeback against Almere City came against 10 men, Fraser may be prepared to name the same RKC starting lineup.
Each of the three attacking players contributed a goal or assist, Oskar Zawada taking his tally to seven for the Eredivisie campaign while Mohamed Ihattaren made it three goals for the season.
Meanwhile, NAC are likely to have to make one alteration through Boy Kemper needing to be withdrawn during the early stages versus Heracles.
Terence Kongolo are introduced as his replacement on that occasion and that could prove to be the only change.
RKC Waalwijk possible starting lineup:
Houwen; Mazyani, Lelieveld, Gelderen, Familia-Castillo; Felida, Loo, Oukili; Ihattaren; Zawada, Margaret
NAC Breda possible starting lineup:
Bielica; Busi, Greimi, Van den Bergh, Kongolo; Janosek, Balard, Kaied; Sauer; Omarsson, Van Hooijdonk
We say: RKC Waalwijk 1-1 NAC Breda
After two mammoth wins, RKC have generated momentum heading into this fixture. Nevertheless, NAC deserve respect for their position in the table, leading us to predict a competitive draw between these teams.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Darren Plant
