MX23RW : Friday, November 22 20:16:05| >> :600:1258711:1258711:
[monks data]
Sparta Rotterdam logo
Eredivisie | Gameweek 26
Mar 13, 2021 at 8pm UK
Sparta-Stadion Het Kasteel
Waalwijk logo

Sparta
2 - 0
RKC Waalwijk

Beugelsdijk (57'), Smeets (90+2')
FT(HT: 0-0)

Preview: Sparta Rotterdam vs. RKC Waalwijk - prediction, team news, lineups

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

Sparta Rotterdam host RKC Waalwijk on Saturday, as they look to record a second consecutive win and move back up the Eredivisie table after a poor run of form.

Meanwhile, the visitors have recently moved away from the relegation zone, thanks to an upturn in form in the past few weeks.


Match preview

Henk Fraser, now in charge of Sparta Rotterdam, pictured in 2017© Reuters

Sparta Rotterdam got back to winning ways in league action last time out, defeating VVV Venlo 1-0 away from home as a Kristopher da Graca own goal decided the game.

That result ended an eight-game winless run in the league for the Sparta Stadion Het Kasteel outfit.

Before that, Henk Fraser's side came so close to a victory away at basement side FC Emmen, as Laros Duarte's goal was cancelled out by 96th-minute penalty for the hosts, which Michael de Leeuw converted to snatch a point.

Despite the disappointment of a late equaliser, that draw did put an end to a run of three consecutive league defeats for De Kasteelheren, including a surprise loss to strugglers Willem II.

Fraser's men now sit in 12th spot in the Eredivisie table, but they remain just six points behind ninth-placed Heerenveen, meaning a winning run could see them quickly move back into the top half.

However, that will be no easy task, as they welcome an RKC Waalwijk side who have had an upturn in form in recent weeks.

Fred Grim, now in charge of RKC Waalwijk, pictured in 2017© Reuters

Despite that, they did suffer a narrow defeat to FC Utrecht in their last league game, falling to a 2-1 home loss.

The game looked set to finish 1-1 after Richard van der Venne's equaliser for the hosts, before Utrecht were awarded a penalty in the seventh minute of added time, which Sander van de Streek scored to take all three points for the visitors.

Before that, Fred Grim's side went on a five-game unbeaten run in the Eredivisie, drawing three games and securing crucial victories over FC Emmen and Heracles.

As a result, they now sit 14th in the top flight, five points above 16th spot and seven points ahead of the automatic relegation zone.

That is a large progression on last season, when RKC were at the foot of the table when the league was put to an end due to the COVID-19 outbreak, and Grim will be keen to put that behind them as they look to avoid the drop this campaign.

Sparta Rotterdam Eredivisie form:
  • D
  • L
  • L
  • L
  • D
  • W

RKC Waalwijk Eredivisie form:
  • D
  • D
  • W
  • W
  • D
  • L


Team News

Sparta Rotterdam will remain without full-back Mica Pinto, who has missed their last two games with a hamstring injury.

He is joined on the sidelines by goalkeeper Tim Coremans, who is yet to feature this season due to a long-term knee injury.

Their line will be led by Lennart Thy, who has notched up an impressive tally of nine Eredivisie goals so far this season, despite failing to find the net in his last nine league appearances.

RKC Waalwijk remain without wingers James Efmorfidis and Morad El Haddouti, with the pair both out with injuries.

Richard van der Venne will be in search of another goal on Saturday, having found the net twice in his last three games from midfield.

However, Grim's side has struggled for a real goalscorer this season, with Finn Stokkers topping their league scoring charts with five goals.

Sparta Rotterdam possible starting lineup:
Okoye; Abels, Vriends, Beugelsdijk, Meijers; Harroui, Duarte, Aussar, Burger; Engels, Thy

RKC Waalwijk possible starting lineup:
Lamprou; Bakari, Meulensteen, Touba, Quasten; Anita, Tahiri; Daneels, Van Der Venne, John; Stokkers


SM words green background

We say: Sparta Rotterdam 1-1 RKC Waalwijk

With both sides coming into this game with some quiet confidence, we see them sharing the points at the Sparta Stadion Het Kasteel.

While the away side have enjoyed a better run of form in recent weeks, the quality of Sparta Rotterdam should help them to a result if they can continue to work better as a unit.



Top tip

Our expert tipster partners at Sporita.com are predicting under 3.5 goals in this match. Click here to find out what else they are predicting for this game and for more of their tried-and-tested football tips.Under 3.5:data



ID:438684:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:collect8115:

Data Analysis

Our analysis of all available data, including recent performances and player stats up until an hour before kickoff, suggested the most likely outcome of this match was a Sparta Rotterdam win with a probability of 48.45%. A win for RKC Waalwijk had a probability of 26.43% and a draw had a probability of 25.1%.

The most likely scoreline for a Sparta Rotterdam win was 1-0 with a probability of 10.91%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 2-1 (9.41%) and 2-0 (8.59%). The likeliest RKC Waalwijk win was 0-1 (7.59%), while for a drawn scoreline it was 1-1 (11.94%). The actual scoreline of 2-0 was predicted with an 8.6% likelihood. Our data analysis correctly predicted that Sparta Rotterdam would win this match.


Previews by email

Click here to get Sports Mole's daily email of previews and predictions for every major game!


Game History
Collect / Create New Data
Share this article now:
Yaya Sanogo of Arsenal in action during the Emirates Cup match between Arsenal and Benfica at the Emirates Stadium on August 2, 2014
Read Next:
Sanogo among released Arsenal quartet
>
Sports Mole Logo
Enter your email address to subscribe to Sports Mole's free daily transfer newsletter! Sent twice a day during the transfer window.
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
FT
Steelers
19-24
Browns
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1PSV EindhovenPSV1211014093133
2FC UtrechtUtrecht119112011928
3Ajax1182125111426
4Feyenoord1274128131525
5FC Twente1264224111322
6AZ AlkmaarAZ125252314917
7Fortuna SittardSittard125251316-317
8NECNijmegen125161910916
9Willem II124351312115
10Go Ahead Eagles124351520-515
11NAC BredaNAC Breda125071221-915
12Heerenveen124261323-1014
13Groningen123361219-712
14PEC Zwolle123361422-812
15Heracles123361223-1112
16Sparta RotterdamSparta122551218-611
17Almere CityAlmere City12138627-216
18RKC WaalwijkRKC Waalwijk1211101031-214


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!