In search of to interrupt their regarding streak with no win, RKC Waalwijk, who’re struggling to keep away from relegation, will face NEC at Mandemakers Stadion on Friday evening in an vital Eredivisie match.
RKC suffered a giant loss to FC Twente, a top-three contender, of their final recreation, whereas NEC moved to the subsequent spherical of the KNVB Beker by defeating ADO Den Haag.
Match preview
Final weekend, RKC Waalwijk’s streak with no win within the Eredivisie stretched to eight video games, which may be very worrying. They visited De Grolsch Veste to play towards Twente and left with a big defeat, marking their thirteenth lack of the 2023-24 season within the high division.
Ricky van Wolfswinkel scored first for the house staff within the opening half, and RKC’s state of affairs didn’t get higher after halftime. Targets from Myron Boadu and Younes Taha meant the guests couldn’t earn any factors.
After ending within the high half final season, Waalwijk is now preventing to remain up underneath Henk Fraser’s administration. At the moment sixteenth within the Eredivisie standings, they’ve gathered simply 15 factors from 20 video games, 4 factors behind Heracles in fifteenth.
RKC’s efficiency on the Mandemakers Stadion has been disappointing, with solely two wins in 10 residence league video games. Their final win there was on October 21 towards FC Volendam.
To this point, Waalwijk has had seven totally different gamers rating within the Eredivisie, with 35-year-old Michiel Kramer main with six objectives in 19 video games. Solely he, Yassin Oukili, and Filip Stevanovic have scored greater than as soon as for RKC this season.
NEC Nijmegen prolonged their unbeaten streak to 10 video games throughout the Eredivisie and cup competitions on Tuesday evening by beating ADO Den Haag within the KNVB Beker quarter-finals. This places them two video games away from successful a serious trophy.
Nonetheless, their focus now shifts again to the league, the place they beat newcomers Heracles final weekend. Targets from Tjaronn Chery and a double from Koki Ogawa secured a three-goal victory at Goffertstadion.
Having misplaced solely one in every of their final 13 Eredivisie video games since early October, Rogier Meijer’s staff is seventh within the standings, six factors behind fourth-placed AZ Alkmaar and 14 factors away from relegation.
Regardless of dropping high scorer Magnus Mattsson to Copenhagen, NEC has maintained its type into February. They signed a number of gamers through the winter window, together with Sylla Sow and Yvandro Borges Sanches from Go Forward Eagles and Borussia Monchengladbach, respectively.
RKC Waalwijk Eredivisie type: L D L L D L
NEC Eredivisie type: W W D W D W
NEC type (all competitions): D W W D W W
Staff Information
RKC Waalwijk may change their lineup from their final recreation, with Denilho Cleonise and Reuven Niemeijer probably sitting out.
Ilias Takidine might begin Friday’s recreation on account of his spectacular efficiency final weekend, becoming a member of Mats Seuntjens within the assault.
For NEC, January signee Sow may begin, changing Sontje Hansen. Ogawa will lead the assault, with Kodai Sano supporting from the perimeters.
After holding a clear sheet within the KNVB Beker, Philippe Sandler and Bram Nuytinck are prone to proceed because the center-back duo for Meijer’s staff.
RKC Waalwijk potential beginning lineup:
Vaessen;
Lelieveld, Adewoye, Van den Buijs, Lotonda;
Felida, Oukili, Takidine, Min, Lokesa;
Seuntjens
NEC potential beginning lineup:
Roefs;
Van Rooij, Sandler, Nuytinck, Verdonk;
Correct, Hoedemakers, Sow, Chery, Sano;
Ogawa
Prediction: RKC Waalwijk 1-2 NEC
We predict RKC Waalwijk will face one other defeat, dropping 1-2 to NEC. Given RKC’s present poor type and NEC’s confidence from their latest KNVB Beker success, we anticipate the guests to take all three factors on the Mandemakers Stadion.