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Eredivisie Preview: Round 15
The Eredivisie returns following the midweek Champions League action and an exciting round 15 awaits.
Nov 26, 2009 3:00:00 PM
Friday
Sparta - PSV
Saturday
AZ – VVV
Heracles – Roda
Heerenveen – RKC
Willem II – Twente
Sunday
Vitesse – Ajax
ADO Den Haag - Feyenoord
Utrecht – NAC
Groningen – NEC
Sparta - PSV
The home side were thrashed 5-0 by relegation candidates VVV last week and dropped to ninth spot in the table. Sparta have collected 17 points from 14 games. The Rotterdam outfit will be without the services of suspended centre-back Dele Adeleye, while attacker Charles Dissels is unavailable due to injury. The man to watch will be young midfielder Erik Falkenburg, who has been in superb form lately and is reportedly being monitored by PSV. The Eindhoven powerhouse cruised to a comfortable 4-0 home win against Heracles last week and still sit second in the table after 14 games. PSV have picked up 36 points so far and trail table toppers Twente by two points. Head coach Fred Rutten will be without right-back Jan Kromkamp due to injury, but players such as Andre Ooijer and Danny Koevermans are available again. Hungarian winger Balazs Dzsudzsak will be more than happy to continue his fine form.
Prediction: 1-3
AZ – VVV
Reigning Eredivisie champions AZ are slowly climbing their way back up the table after a number of disappointing results. The Alkmaar side recorded a 4-2 away win against Roda last week and climbed to sixth spot in the table with 22 points. Head coach Ronald Koeman will be without star attacker Mounir el Hamdaoui due to injury, while defender Kew Jaliens is doubtful. Additionally, Brazilian youngster Jonathas will be forced to watch the match from the stands due to suspension. The guests picked up a surprisingly easy 5-0 win against Sparta on matchday 13 and will be more than happy to record another good result in Alkmaar. The Venlo side are in tenth place at the moment with 14 points. Experienced goalie Dennis Gentenaar is still out of action due to a knee injury. The men to watch will be striker Sandro Calabro and attacking midfielder Keisuke Honda.
Prediction: 2-0
Heracles – Roda
The Almelo side were beaten 4-0 by PSV last weekend and never really looked like upsetting their opponents. Despite their loss, Heracles are still the Eredivisie number eight team after 14 matchdays. Head coach Gertjan Verbeek will be without first choice goalie Martin Pieckenhagen due to suspension this Saturday, while Elias Pech is being plagued by ankle trouble. The man to watch will be young striker Bas Dost, who has attracted the interest of several bigger clubs with his good showings this season. Roda were unable to beat AZ last week and slumped to a 4-2 loss in the end. The Kerkrade outfit currently sit sixteenth in the table with 13 points from 14 games. Head coach Harm van Veldhoven will be without Kris de Wree and Jamaique Vandamme due to injury, but doesn’t have any other notable injury worries. The man to watch will be creative forward Anouar Hadouir.
Prediction: 1-1
Heerenveen – RKC
The home side were hammered 5-1 by Ajax last week and will probably be extremely low on confidence. Heerenveen dropped to thirteenth spot in the table following the abysmal result. The Friezen will be without the services of goalkeeper Kenny Steppe, midfielder Geert Roorda and attacker Patrik Ingelsten due to injury, but Norwegian international Christian Grindheim will return to the match squad after having overcome his ankle injury. Head coach Jan de Jonge will rely on Michal Papadopulos to provide his side with goals on Saturday evening. RKC will be full of confidence after having collected six points from their last two games. They beat Groningen 3-1 last weekend and will be eager to add three more points to their tally against Heerenveen. They still sit last in the table, but NEC have only three points more than the Waalwijk outfit. Gifted youngster Charlison Benschop netted a brace against Groningen and will be the man to watch.
Prediction: 2-1
Willem II – Twente
Willem II were held to a 1-1 draw by ADO in their previous Eredivisie game and the Tilburg side sit twelfth in the table as a result. They have collected 14 points so far. Head coach Alfons Groenendijk will be without Mehmet Akgun and Jens Janse due to injury, but doesn’t have any other serious injury worries. The man to watch will be Frank Demouge, who salvaged a point last week with a second half goal. The away side are still unbeaten after 14 games played and sit atop of the table with 38 points. Steve McClaren’s men recorded a narrow 1-0 win against Vitesse last week courtesy of a late Bryan Ruiz goal. The English gaffer will still be without young defender Slobodan Rajkovic due to a hamstring injury, but Dutch international Wout Brama is expected to return to the match squad after a brief injury lay-off. All eyes will be on in form Costa Rican forward Ruiz to help the Tukkers get another good result this weekend.
Prediction: 1-3
Vitesse – Ajax
Vitesse put in a decent performance against Eredivisie table toppers Twente last week, but the Arnhem side were eventually beaten 1-0. They dropped to eleventh spot in the table following their loss with 14 points from 14 games. Santi Kolk, Julian Jenner and Civard Sprockel are all expected to miss out on the encounter due to injury. The man to watch will be promising shot stopper Piet Velthuizen, who was in top form last week. The Amsterdam side impressed with a 5-1 home win against Heerenveen last week and they will be looking for the full three points again this Sunday. Ajax currently sit third in the table and they cannot afford to slip up if they are to stay in the race for the Dutch title. Head coach Martin Jol will only be without left-back Thimothee Atouba due to a knee injury. The men to watch for Ajax will be influential midfielder Demy de Zeeuw and star attacker Luis Suarez.
Prediction: 0-2
ADO Den Haag - Feyenoord
The Residentie club have been far from impressive lately after a superb start to the 2009-10 campaign and are in fifteenth spot at the moment. ADO picked up one point in the game against Willem II last week. Richard Knopper, Aleksandr Rankovic and Boy Waterman will miss Sunday’s match due to injury, while Ricky van den Bergh is unavailable due to a suspension. Head coach Raymond Atteveld will be hoping that winger Karim Soltani can provide ADO with some goals. Feyenoord are struggling lately and were held to a scoreless draw by Utrecht last week. The Rotterdam giants still sit fourth in the table, but teams such as Utrecht and AZ are closing in and Feyenoord desperately need the full three points. However. Head coach Mario Been will be without the injured Dani Fernandez, while Jon Dahl Tomasson is doubtful. Andwele Slory and Kevin Hofland are expected to return to the match squad though. Playmaker Jonathan de Guzman is on his way back after a lengthy injury absence, but Sunday’s match appears to be too soon for the gifted midfielder.
Prediction: 1-3
Utrecht – NAC
Utrecht held Feyenoord to a scoreless draw and had every reason to be satisfied with the final result, as Mihai Nesu cleared a Luigi Bruins shot off the line that would have the meant the match winner for the Rotterdam side. The Domstedelingen have been the league’s number five side for a while and still are after 14 games. Head coach Ton du Chatinier will be without the injured Alje Schut and Hans Somers, while midfielder Michael Silberbauer is doubtful, too. Young attackers Dries Mertens and Ricky van Wolfswinkel will be looked upon to find the net for Utrecht. The away side put in an entertaining game against NEC last week, but had to settle for a 3-3 draw. NAC currently sit seventh in the table with 21 points. Coach Robert Maaskant will be without defender Tyrone Loran due to injury, while Tim Gilissen is still suspended. However, in form attackers Matthew Amoah and Leonardo are both raring to go up front.
Prediction: 2-1
Groningen – NEC
Groningen were shocked 3-1 by the Eredivisie’s last place team RKC last week and they will be desperate to bounce back with a good result against NEC. They currently sit fourteenth in the table with only 13 points. Shot stopper Luciano and centerback Andreas Granqvist are both unavailable due to suspension, while Petter Andersson, Ondrej Svejdik, Morten Nordstrand and Tom Hiariej are all out of action due to injury. Head coach Ron Jans will probably rely on Slovakian forward Tim Matavz to provide the northern side with goals. NEC are struggling to find their best form, too, this season and are the league’s number seventeen side at the moment. New head coach Wiljan Vloet guided the Nijmegen outfit to a spectacular 3-3 draw against NAC last week. Lasse Schone, Bas Sibum and Mark Otten are all injured and will miss Sunday’s game. The man to watch will be speedy winger Saidi, who returned to match action with a brace last weekend.
Prediction: 2-1
Stefan Coerts, Goal.com
Talk all things soccer with the rest of our readers in the Goal.com Forums!
Sparta - PSV
Saturday
AZ – VVV
Heracles – Roda
Heerenveen – RKC
Willem II – Twente
Sunday
Vitesse – Ajax
ADO Den Haag - Feyenoord
Utrecht – NAC
Groningen – NEC
Sparta - PSV
The home side were thrashed 5-0 by relegation candidates VVV last week and dropped to ninth spot in the table. Sparta have collected 17 points from 14 games. The Rotterdam outfit will be without the services of suspended centre-back Dele Adeleye, while attacker Charles Dissels is unavailable due to injury. The man to watch will be young midfielder Erik Falkenburg, who has been in superb form lately and is reportedly being monitored by PSV. The Eindhoven powerhouse cruised to a comfortable 4-0 home win against Heracles last week and still sit second in the table after 14 games. PSV have picked up 36 points so far and trail table toppers Twente by two points. Head coach Fred Rutten will be without right-back Jan Kromkamp due to injury, but players such as Andre Ooijer and Danny Koevermans are available again. Hungarian winger Balazs Dzsudzsak will be more than happy to continue his fine form.
Prediction: 1-3
AZ – VVV
Reigning Eredivisie champions AZ are slowly climbing their way back up the table after a number of disappointing results. The Alkmaar side recorded a 4-2 away win against Roda last week and climbed to sixth spot in the table with 22 points. Head coach Ronald Koeman will be without star attacker Mounir el Hamdaoui due to injury, while defender Kew Jaliens is doubtful. Additionally, Brazilian youngster Jonathas will be forced to watch the match from the stands due to suspension. The guests picked up a surprisingly easy 5-0 win against Sparta on matchday 13 and will be more than happy to record another good result in Alkmaar. The Venlo side are in tenth place at the moment with 14 points. Experienced goalie Dennis Gentenaar is still out of action due to a knee injury. The men to watch will be striker Sandro Calabro and attacking midfielder Keisuke Honda.
Prediction: 2-0
Heracles – Roda
The Almelo side were beaten 4-0 by PSV last weekend and never really looked like upsetting their opponents. Despite their loss, Heracles are still the Eredivisie number eight team after 14 matchdays. Head coach Gertjan Verbeek will be without first choice goalie Martin Pieckenhagen due to suspension this Saturday, while Elias Pech is being plagued by ankle trouble. The man to watch will be young striker Bas Dost, who has attracted the interest of several bigger clubs with his good showings this season. Roda were unable to beat AZ last week and slumped to a 4-2 loss in the end. The Kerkrade outfit currently sit sixteenth in the table with 13 points from 14 games. Head coach Harm van Veldhoven will be without Kris de Wree and Jamaique Vandamme due to injury, but doesn’t have any other notable injury worries. The man to watch will be creative forward Anouar Hadouir.
Prediction: 1-1
Heerenveen – RKC
The home side were hammered 5-1 by Ajax last week and will probably be extremely low on confidence. Heerenveen dropped to thirteenth spot in the table following the abysmal result. The Friezen will be without the services of goalkeeper Kenny Steppe, midfielder Geert Roorda and attacker Patrik Ingelsten due to injury, but Norwegian international Christian Grindheim will return to the match squad after having overcome his ankle injury. Head coach Jan de Jonge will rely on Michal Papadopulos to provide his side with goals on Saturday evening. RKC will be full of confidence after having collected six points from their last two games. They beat Groningen 3-1 last weekend and will be eager to add three more points to their tally against Heerenveen. They still sit last in the table, but NEC have only three points more than the Waalwijk outfit. Gifted youngster Charlison Benschop netted a brace against Groningen and will be the man to watch.
Prediction: 2-1
Willem II – Twente
Willem II were held to a 1-1 draw by ADO in their previous Eredivisie game and the Tilburg side sit twelfth in the table as a result. They have collected 14 points so far. Head coach Alfons Groenendijk will be without Mehmet Akgun and Jens Janse due to injury, but doesn’t have any other serious injury worries. The man to watch will be Frank Demouge, who salvaged a point last week with a second half goal. The away side are still unbeaten after 14 games played and sit atop of the table with 38 points. Steve McClaren’s men recorded a narrow 1-0 win against Vitesse last week courtesy of a late Bryan Ruiz goal. The English gaffer will still be without young defender Slobodan Rajkovic due to a hamstring injury, but Dutch international Wout Brama is expected to return to the match squad after a brief injury lay-off. All eyes will be on in form Costa Rican forward Ruiz to help the Tukkers get another good result this weekend.
Prediction: 1-3
Vitesse – Ajax
Vitesse put in a decent performance against Eredivisie table toppers Twente last week, but the Arnhem side were eventually beaten 1-0. They dropped to eleventh spot in the table following their loss with 14 points from 14 games. Santi Kolk, Julian Jenner and Civard Sprockel are all expected to miss out on the encounter due to injury. The man to watch will be promising shot stopper Piet Velthuizen, who was in top form last week. The Amsterdam side impressed with a 5-1 home win against Heerenveen last week and they will be looking for the full three points again this Sunday. Ajax currently sit third in the table and they cannot afford to slip up if they are to stay in the race for the Dutch title. Head coach Martin Jol will only be without left-back Thimothee Atouba due to a knee injury. The men to watch for Ajax will be influential midfielder Demy de Zeeuw and star attacker Luis Suarez.
Prediction: 0-2
ADO Den Haag - Feyenoord
The Residentie club have been far from impressive lately after a superb start to the 2009-10 campaign and are in fifteenth spot at the moment. ADO picked up one point in the game against Willem II last week. Richard Knopper, Aleksandr Rankovic and Boy Waterman will miss Sunday’s match due to injury, while Ricky van den Bergh is unavailable due to a suspension. Head coach Raymond Atteveld will be hoping that winger Karim Soltani can provide ADO with some goals. Feyenoord are struggling lately and were held to a scoreless draw by Utrecht last week. The Rotterdam giants still sit fourth in the table, but teams such as Utrecht and AZ are closing in and Feyenoord desperately need the full three points. However. Head coach Mario Been will be without the injured Dani Fernandez, while Jon Dahl Tomasson is doubtful. Andwele Slory and Kevin Hofland are expected to return to the match squad though. Playmaker Jonathan de Guzman is on his way back after a lengthy injury absence, but Sunday’s match appears to be too soon for the gifted midfielder.
Prediction: 1-3
Utrecht – NAC
Utrecht held Feyenoord to a scoreless draw and had every reason to be satisfied with the final result, as Mihai Nesu cleared a Luigi Bruins shot off the line that would have the meant the match winner for the Rotterdam side. The Domstedelingen have been the league’s number five side for a while and still are after 14 games. Head coach Ton du Chatinier will be without the injured Alje Schut and Hans Somers, while midfielder Michael Silberbauer is doubtful, too. Young attackers Dries Mertens and Ricky van Wolfswinkel will be looked upon to find the net for Utrecht. The away side put in an entertaining game against NEC last week, but had to settle for a 3-3 draw. NAC currently sit seventh in the table with 21 points. Coach Robert Maaskant will be without defender Tyrone Loran due to injury, while Tim Gilissen is still suspended. However, in form attackers Matthew Amoah and Leonardo are both raring to go up front.
Prediction: 2-1
Groningen – NEC
Groningen were shocked 3-1 by the Eredivisie’s last place team RKC last week and they will be desperate to bounce back with a good result against NEC. They currently sit fourteenth in the table with only 13 points. Shot stopper Luciano and centerback Andreas Granqvist are both unavailable due to suspension, while Petter Andersson, Ondrej Svejdik, Morten Nordstrand and Tom Hiariej are all out of action due to injury. Head coach Ron Jans will probably rely on Slovakian forward Tim Matavz to provide the northern side with goals. NEC are struggling to find their best form, too, this season and are the league’s number seventeen side at the moment. New head coach Wiljan Vloet guided the Nijmegen outfit to a spectacular 3-3 draw against NAC last week. Lasse Schone, Bas Sibum and Mark Otten are all injured and will miss Sunday’s game. The man to watch will be speedy winger Saidi, who returned to match action with a brace last weekend.
Prediction: 2-1
Stefan Coerts, Goal.com
Talk all things soccer with the rest of our readers in the Goal.com Forums!
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