Fierce rivals Feyenoord and Ajax clash at De Kuip on Sunday as both sides look to keep the pace with leaders PSV Eindhoven. Kick off in Rotterdam is at 1.30pm.
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Defending Eredivisie champions Feyenoord go into the game with a big point to prove after a disappointing week. Last weeks horrid 0-0 draw at home to PEC Zwolle was followed up with a 2-1 loss to Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League which realistically ends their chances of progressing in Europe past the winter.
Ajax, on the other hand, have come into some form after a shaky start to the season, winning their last two league games 4-0. Their recent results have seen them draw level on points with Feyenoord in the joint second spot.
A loss for either side would put them in a difficult position in the title race, with both sides currently five points behind leaders PSV, who host Heracles earlier on Sunday. Neither can afford a slip-up or they could find themselves eight points adrift so early in the campaign.
Team News
Feyenoord go into the game with a defensive crisis after Sven van Beek joined Eric Botteghin, Renato Tapia and Jan-Arie van der Heijden on the injury list. Giovanni van Bronckhorst is set to place Sofyan Amrabat in the centre of defence alongside Jerry St Juste, while Bart Nieuwkoop or Kevin Diks could start at right-back.
Expected Feyenoord lineup: Jones, Diks, Haps, Amrabat, St Juste, Vilhena, El Ahmadi, Toornstra, Berghuis, Boetius, Jorgensen
Marcel Keizer has a fit Ajax squad to choose from after goalkeeper Benjamin van Leer returned from injury. Amin Younes is set to start, despite claiming he is not fresh earlier in the week, while David Neres is expected to be preferred on the wing to Justin Kluivert. The big question is whether Keizer will choose Klaas-Jan Huntelaar or Kasper Dolberg up front.
Expected Ajax line-up: Onana, Veltman, Viergever, De Ligt, Wober, Schone, van de Beek, Ziyech, Neres, Younes, Huntelaar.
Head to Head
Ajax and Feyenoord have met on 187 occasions since 1921 with the Amsterdammers coming out on top in 82 of those matches. Feyenoord have 58 wins and 48 games have ended in a draw.
Last season Feyenoord may have won the championship, but they didn’t beat Ajax on their way to the title. The match in Rotterdam finished 1-1 while Ajax won 2-1 in Amsterdam.
Odds
Feyenoord 9/5 Draw 5/2 Ajax 11/8
Predictions
Our resident tipster Michael Statham has given his prediction on the game along with Ferdi Delies, who runs engels-voetbal.nl. You can check out their predictions for the game and all the Eredivisie action right here.