It’s round ten of the Eredivisie this weekend and Michael Statham continues to provide his preview and predictions for each match.
Friday, October 24
PEC Zwolle v Utrecht
I was very surprised by the landslide victory Vitesse enjoyed in Zwolle last weekend because I thought the two sides were very evenly matched. However PEC were punished by their visitors with every chance they gave away, plus I don’t think they created enough to deserve anything from the game anyway.
Sebastien Haller’s goal for Utrecht against Roda is a timely return to form for the striker.
It will be interesting to see how PEC respond after their heavy defeat, maybe Ron Jans will attempt to tighten up his defence.
Prediction: 1-1
Saturday, October 25
Willem II v Heerenveen
Sixteenth plays fifteenth. A match between two struggling sides, both have won only one league match each this season.
Jurgen Streppel must be slightly more concerned about his position following Dwight Lodeweges’s resignation. So it’s a match he can ill-afford to lose.
I’m not shocked by Heerenveen’s position in the table. It’s well documented they lost three key players last summer, but on top of this they already had a struggling defence and a very youthful midfield. Added to this they have a lack of firepower up front in this campaign, compared to previous seasons when the likes of Mark Uth and Alfred Finnbogason have scored for fun to push Heerenveen up the table.
For now, I can see Heerenveen’s poor run of form continuing until a new manager arrives. I would like to see Gertjan Verbeek return to the Eredivisie.
Prediction: 2-0
Twente v PSV
Whilst I’m confident Twente have a good enough squad to stay up this season, I wonder what the long term aims of the board are for the club as they recover from financial disaster.
Back-to-back home wins have at least provided some enjoyment for Twente supporters.
PSV will be a different proposition however from the likes of Roda and NEC. That said, PSV are still without some key players and were comfortably beaten by a simply stronger Wolfsburg in the Champions League.
Not to mention PSV’s disappointing draw with Excelsior last weekend. They should have easily seen out the match but could not finish their chances in the second half.
So the champions are still not back to their best this season. Although I’ll back them to win in Enschede.
Prediction: 0-2
De Graafschap v Heracles
De Superboeren have competed at a much higher level in the last few matches. However two points is all they have to show for it.
For me, their realisitic aim already is to simply not finish bottom and attempt to overtake one or two of the teams above them.
Heracles were missing one player too many against Ajax which ultimately meant they didn’t have the same punch going forward. Oussama Tannane is the biggest miss at the moment.
The team is still playing with confidence though and should have enough to beat De Graafschap.
Prediction: 1-2
Roda JC v Excelsior
So far in this campaign Roda have been a tight side in games – very solid at the back yet not throwing too many players forward in attack.
Darije Kalezic’s men have the tied third best rearguard in the Eredivisie whilst also being the league’s tied third lowest goalscorers.
From Excelsior’s point of view, their draw with PSV was a fantastic and unexpected point. They defended very well and found some nice openings on the counter-attack.
Both teams would settle for a point to keep them ticking along.
Prediction: 1-1
Sunday, October 25
Cambuur v ADO den Haag
Cambuur definitely played a game of two halves against AZ last time out. In the first half they weren’t in the game. In fact it took them until the seventieth minute to really come alive.
They then began peppering the AZ goal in search of the win that has eluded them all season so far.
If they play to the standards they were playing to in the last twenty minutes of the match, they will beat ADO.
The visitors are the perfect bait for Cambuur as they too have been struggling. The defence has been far too weak in away games and I cannot see that changing this weekend.
Prediction: 3-1
NEC Nijmegen v Groningen
NEC were a little stale in their defeat at Twente. Their expressive attacking style which they picked up in recent weeks just wasn’t there in their last match.
Groningen have Danny Hoesen to thank for their latest win and draw picked up in the Eredivisie and the Europa League respectively, he scored a late goal in each game.
That is positive news for the striker, who has been unable to find any form since his move from Ajax in the summer of 2014.
Both teams go into this match with identical win-draw-loss records and I think it will remain that way after the game too.
Prediction: 1-1
Vitesse v Ajax
Vitesse have overtaken Ajax as the highest goalscorers in the Eredivisie following their demolition of PEC.
This match is the perfect opportunity for Peter Bosz and his players to demonstrate the strides of development they have made since their disappointing Europa League exit to Southampton in August, a point where Vitesse were a side full of lots of new, raw and young players.
They still are exactly that but the team has really come on well since then. Bosz deserves all the plaudits he is slowly picking up.
Meanwhile Ajax come into this game on the back of a decent win in Almelo in league action and a last-minute defeat at Fenerbache in the Europa League.
They still have lots of work to do this season in order to show progression.
Frank De Boer also needs to get Anwar El Ghazi to return to form. This sounds very strange given he is the top scorer in the Eredivisie, however he has not been as influential on Ajax’s forward play this season. He must improve on other areas of his game if he is to succeed as a wide player and become an Eredivisie great.
I fancy an upset here. Especially as Ajax are returning from Turkey.
Prediction: 2-1
Feyenoord v AZ
Feyenoord gave a quality attacking display against Heerenveen in the first half.
Simon Gustafson is an exciting player who links up far better with the forward three than Lex Immers and Jens Toornstra, who were the main players in that position last term.
Although in my opinion, the man of the match last weekend for Feyenoord was Marko Veijnovic. His creativity from deep was the source of the majority of his team’s moves.
AZ were unlucky to lose to Augsburg on Thursday. They created numerous chances, just like in previous matches, but they failed to put them away.
A similar story was played through in Cambuur as well last weekend. Both times they have been punished.
This makes for an exciting match this Sunday then if both teams can keep up their attacking form.
Prediction: 2-1
How have I done so far?
Week 1: 4 results
Week 2: 3 results, 1 correct score
Week 3: 7 results, 1 correct score
Week 4: 4 results, 1 correct score
Week 5: 7 results, 2 correct scores
Week 6: 4 results, 1 correct score
Week 7: 7 results
Week 8: 5 results, 1 correct score
Week 9: 5 results, 1 correct score
Think you can better my predictions? Please continue to comment below or tweet @EredivisieMike or @football_oranje with yours…
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Writer/interviewer/YouTuber for Football-Oranje. Massive Dutch football fan from the UK. Follow me @EredivisieMike & subscribe to Football-Oranje on YouTube.
Last week Jama you got three correct results.