Two sides separated by just two points in the top half of the Eredivisie table will do battle on Sunday, as Sparta Rotterdam entertain Go Ahead Eagles.
The hosts leapfrogged their visitors to move into sixth place with a victory on their return to action last weekend, while Go Ahead Eagles fell just short against Ajax.
Match preview
Sparta Rotterdam head into the second half of the Eredivisie campaign on the back of a relatively pleasing start to the 2023-24 season, as they currently sit sixth, the same position they finished in last time around, with 25 points on the board from their first 17 games.
In those matches, De Kasteelheren have managed seven victories and suffered six defeats, with consistency certainly being their stumbling block, having not yet managed consecutive wins all season.
Despite that lack of a real streak thus far, Jeroen Rijsdijk's side have enjoyed a slight upturn since late October, adding 13 points to their league tally in the last eight attempts as they firstly experienced three victories and three losses in a six-match spell before rounding off 2023 with a creditable 2-2 draw with third-placed Twente and an exit from the KNVB Cup.
On their return to action for the first time in the new year last weekend, De Kasteelheren travelled to take on Fortuna Sittard and again succeeded in returning to winning ways, leaving with all three points from a 2-0 triumph as Shunsuke Mito and Metinho netted the goals either side of the interval.
Having successfully climbed into the top six with that victory, remaining three points behind fifth-placed Ajax and moving within eight points of the top four and two ahead of their visitors, Sparta Rotterdam will now be keen to make it back-to-back three-point hauls for the first time this term to strengthen their position at the top end of the division.
Their visitors, meanwhile, will set out to arrest a slide down the table and move back ahead of De Kasteelheren on Sunday after enjoying a strong start to the season.
After finishing 11th in the Dutch top flight last time around, Go Ahead Eagles established themselves at the top end of the division in the early stages of the 2023-24 term, notching up 21 points from their first 12 outings courtesy of six victories alongside just three defeats.
That start culminated in back-to-back triumphs over Vitesse and RKC Waalwijk in early November, but they have been unable to add another notch to their wins column in five attempts since, while only adding two more points to their tally.
Rene Hake's side headed into the turn of the year on the back of draws with Excelsior and NEC either side of a pair of home defeats to Twente and Utrecht, and they were unable to bounce back despite a valiant effort on their return to action last Sunday, taking on Ajax and eventually falling to a 3-2 defeat despite twice drawing level twice through Victor Edvardsen and Joris Kramer.
Now returning to action having dropped to seventh spot in the Eredivisie, on the back of a KNVB Cup exit at the hands of NEC, Go Ahead Eagles will switch their full focus back to their league pursuits and bid to return to winning ways to move back ahead of their hosts and into the top six.
Team News
Sparta Rotterdam will likely remain without defender Bart Vriends and wingers Camiel Neghli and Koki Saito, with the trio likely remaining confined to the treatment room, and Jeroen Rijsdijk may opt to deploy an unchanged starting XI from their 2-0 win away at Fortuna Sittard last Saturday.
Metinho will hope to earn a place from the outset in midfield, though, after he scored their second goal off the bench in that win, with Joshua Kitolano, Arno Verschueren and veteran Jonathan de Guzman having been preferred in the middle of their 4-3-3 shape.
Winger Shunsuke Mito should again feature in the front three after scoring on his debut for the club last time out, with Tobias Lauritsen likely continuing to lead the line, while at the other end of the pitch, Djevencio van der Kust, Tijs Velthuis, Rick Meissen and Django Warmerdam are bound to line up in an unchanged back four in Vriends's absence.
Go Ahead Eagles are set to come into Sunday's game with a clean bill of health and should field a similar starting XI to the one that featured in the narrow defeat to Ajax in their last Eredivisie outing.
Victor Edvardsen will continue to lead the line after finding the net in that game, while winger Sylla Sow will fight to return from the outset in their 4-2-3-1 shape, having netted a tally of seven goals this term only matched by fellow wide man Oliver Valaker Edvardsen.
Willum Thor Willumsson is another attacking threat and will complete the supporting trio through the middle, while Philippe Rommens and Evert Linthorst should continue their partnership in front of the back four.
Sparta Rotterdam possible starting lineup:
Olij; Van Der Kust, Velthuis, Meissen, Warmerdam; Kitolano, De Guzman, Verschueren; Mito, Lauritsen, Brym
Go Ahead Eagles possible starting lineup:
De Lange; Deijl, Amofa, Kramer, Kuipers; Rommens, Linthorst; Sow, Willumson, O Edvardsen; V Edvardsen
We say: Sparta Rotterdam 2-1 Go Ahead Eagles
Sparta Rotterdam are yet to build on an Eredivisie victory with a second straight three-point haul this season, but with home advantage against a Go Ahead Eagles side who are devoid of momentum and quickly dropping down the table, we back them to end their wait and make it back-to-back triumphs this weekend.
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Top tip
Sam Varley
