Every week in the 2019/20 season, Football-Oranje’s Michael Statham gives you his predictions and betting tips for each Dutch Eredivisie round. Michael competes against a different special guest each week. This week, it’s Norwegian commentator Paul Thomas Clay, who commentates on the Eredivisie, amongst other competitions such as the Champions League, for Viasat.
Friday, 14th February
VVV-Venlo v Heracles Almelo
Michael’s prediction: There is enough positivity surrounding VVV to suggest they’ll get out of trouble. Scoring goals remains their frailty though, and Heracles have the quality to cause damage. Problem is, Heracles will want to play on the counter-attack and exploit a slow VVV back-line, but I think VVV will frustrate their visitors and pinch a goal. 1-0 | Tip: Home win.
PT’s prediction: A “must-win game” for both sides. VVV needs to put some more distance between themselves and 17th place. Heracles need a win to still be in the fight for European qualification. Completely different starts to 2020 (0-3 in terms of losses), Dessers will decide this. 1-2
Saturday, 15th February
FC Twente v AZ Alkmaar
Michael’s prediction: Twente were abject against Emmen on Tuesday – a deserved defeat. AZ suffered a shock cup defeat to second-tier NAC on Wednesday, but I believe they’ll bounce back. I’m beginning to wonder whether Twente boss Gonzalo Garcia is under pressure from the club board; there’s no way the club can risk relegation back to the Eerste Divisie, and the slump towards the bottom three is alarming, with teams below them now picking up points. 0-2 | Tip: AZ team goals +1.5.
PT’s prediction: Pre-Christmas Twente was awful, 2020 looked better until this week’s midweek loss away to Emmen. AZ? Where will it end? Not in Enschede at least. Could be quite even for, let’s say, the first hour, but AZ’s class, form and confidence will bring home the three points. 1-3 (one goal for each Norwegian)
ADO Den Haag v PSV – Delayed airing on Premier Sports 2
Michael’s prediction: ADO from a season or two ago may have had a chance to sneak a point against PSV, but even though PSV have been disappointing this season, there’s arguably a bigger gap between these two teams now than in previous years. Beating Willem II was a big three points and injection of confidence to the PSV players. 1-3 | Tip: Over 2.5 goals.
PT’s prediction: Two of the more peculiar things to happen in European football this season; Cattermole ending up in VVV, and Alan Pardew signing for ADO. The wimbledonian hasn’t worked his magic just yet, and it will be interesting to see if his ADO is up to the task. PSV looked quite solid against Willem II, and would’ve gained confidence from that. 0-2
Fortuna Sittard v FC Emmen
Michael’s prediction: Two clubs who have amazing home records and are generally poor away. So this should be Fortuna’s day to shine! Actually, I’ve been impressed with Emmen’s previous three performances and I think they’ll earn at least a point in Sittard. 1-2 | Tip: Emmen double chance.
PT’s prediction: Another important game in the relegation battle. These are two out of five teams trying to avoid 16th place (or worse!). Emmen won at home to Twente in midweek, but are absolutely awful away from home. Two points in eleven matches this season! Fortuna are a decent home side, 18 points out of a possible 21 since the start of October. 1-0
Sunday, 16th February
Vitesse Arnhem v Heerenveen
Michael’s prediction: Edward Sturing will demand a response from his Vitesse players after their drab 1-0 defeat to Groningen last weekend and a tame cup exit to Ajax. Heerenveen have rediscovered some of their decent football that they were playing in the Autumn, and I think they’ll take some confidence into this where Chidera Ejuke could cause problems down Vitesse’s right-hand side. 1-2 | Tip: Over 2.5 goals.
PT’s prediction: At the time of writing both teams are yet to play their midweek cup games against Ajax and Feyenoord. The outcome of those games will affect this weekend’s tie. Both teams have underperformed lately, three points between them out of a possible 18 in the last three games. I’ll give this to Vitesse, because of the home advantage and the fact that they possess more quality. Heerenveen will score though, the last time they didn’t was against Twente back in August. 3-1
Sparta Rotterdam v FC Groningen
Michael’s prediction: Sparta will look to their pacey forwards to break up a tight Groningen defence, who carry an excellent Eredivisie defensive record. I’m looking forward to seeing more of Daishawn Redan in attack for Groningen. It’ll be fascinating to see how two 4-4-2 systems (in the Eredivisie) play against each other, and I see this being quite open. 1-1 | Tip: Both teams to score.
PT’s prediction: Solid wins for both last time out, and Groningen with a win against Ajax also three weeks ago. Sparta scores, and lets in, quite a lot. Groningen with only one more conceded than Ajax, and with the third best defence of the Eredivisie. Scoring goals is another matter for Groningen, only the bottom three have scored less. 1-1
Ajax v RKC Waalwijk – Delayed airing on Premier Sports 2
Michael’s prediction: Ajax still have several players out injured, but – you guessed it – they will have enough to comfortably beat bottom side RKC. 3-0 | Tip: Ajax -1.5 Asian handicap.
PT’s prediction: This should, and will, be an easy win for Ajax. Ten Hag has quite a few injury worries. The fringe squad players in Amsterdam should be able to beat RKC though. 4-0
Willem II v FC Utrecht
Michael’s prediction: Fourth plays seventh, but I’m sensing some cracks in this marvellous Willem II season; reminding me slightly of the high-flying PEC Zwolle a few years back – they finished mid-table. I hope this talented team can continue to earn surprising results and push the top four all the way until May, but a win for Utrecht puts them back in the frame for a top five finish. Utrecht enjoy these more challenging games and have the quality to win these close affairs. 1-2 | Tip: Over 2.5 goals.
PT’s prediction: This would definetly be my pick of the week if I was forced to watch only one Eredivisie game this weekend. Willem II, aiming for their best finish since their record second place in 1999, are in good spirits, and so will the crowd be. Utrecht are also in very good form at the moment. 2-2
PEC Zwolle v Feyenoord – LIVE on Premier Sports 2
Michael’s prediction: PEC Zwolle enter this game with in-form cup semi-finalists Feyenoord on the back of three successive clean sheets. John Stegeman was not happy with the way his side played though away at RKC (0-0). The atmosphere will be raucous for the visit of the more illustrious Rotterdammers. I have mentioned plenty of times recently about how Feyenoord have developed since Dick Advocaat took charge, but it says it all when I can now more confidently predict Feyenoord to win in Zwolle. 1-3 | Tip: Over 2.5 goals.
PT’s prediction: Feyenoord are in fantastic form at the moment, just four points dropped in the last ten games. Advocaat has done a really good job putting Feyenoord (nearly) back where they belong. It wouldn’t be the shock of the century if PEC Zwolle pick up a point or three, but I don’t see it happening. 0-2
How has Michael done so far?
Week 1: 2 results + 5/9 correct betting tips | Lost versus Derby County goalkeeper Kelle Roos [6 results]
Week 2: 5 results + 3/9 betting tips | Lost versus Football Manager head researcher Jeroen Thijssen [5 results & 1 correct score]
Week 3: 4 results & 1 correct score + 5/9 betting tips | Won versus ED journalist and PSV-watcher Rik Elfrink [4 results]
Week 4: **2 results & 1 correct score + 4/6 betting tips | Lost versus ED journalist Chris Ottens [**3 results] **reduced schedule of only 6 matches
Week 5: 4 results + 6/9 betting tips | Won versus commentator Phil Blacker [3 results & 1 correct score]
Week 6: 6 results & 1 correct score + 7/9 betting tips | Lost versus EiF founder & journalist Marc Gerschwind [8 results & 2 correct scores]
Week 7: 5 results & 1 correct score + 5/9 betting tips | Won versus commentator Jonathan Beck [4 results]
Week 8: 5 results + 5/9 betting tips | Lost versus commentator Paul Thomas Clay [6 results & 1 correct score]
Week 9: 6 results & 1 correct score + 4/9 betting tips | Won versus “Eredivisie Out of Context’s” Yorin Schrader [5 results]
Week 10: 2 results + 2/9 betting tips | Lost versus Eredivisie scout Xander Wilkinson [3 results]
Week 11: 5 results and 1 correct score + 6/9 betting tips | Lost versus VVV-Venlo midfielder Lee Cattermole [6 results and 2 correct scores]
Week 12: 5 results and 1 correct score + 5/9 betting tips | Won versus football graphic designer Joeri Gosens [4 results and 1 correct score]
Week 13: 6 results + 6/9 betting tips | Won versus betting tipster MegaFootyTips [5 results and 1 correct score]
Week 14: 3 results and 1 correct score + 5/9 (+ one void) betting tips | Lost versus betting tipster Crypto [5 results and 3 correct scores]
Week 15: 5 results and 1 correct score + 5/9 betting tips | Won versus author Abdul Al Sayed [5 results]
Week 16: 5 results + 4/9 betting tips | Won versus tactical analyst Thom Bleijerveld [4 results and 1 correct score]
Week 17: 4 results and 1 correct score + 4/8 & 1 void betting tips | Lost versus Groningen podcaster Maarten Siepel [5 results and 1 correct score]
Week 18: 6 results and 2 correct scores + 6/9 betting tips | Won versus journalist Maarten Elst [4 results]
Week 19: 5 results and 3 correct score + 4/9 betting tips | Won versus commentator Richard Connelly [5 results]
Week 20: 4 results and 1 correct score + 4/9 betting tips | Won versus Utrecht podcast Red White Podcast [3 results]
Week 21: 7 results and 2 correct scores + 7/9 betting tips | Won versus Portuguese Dutch football outlet Espreme a Laranja [5 results]
Week 22: ? results and ? correct scores + ?/9 betting tips | ? versus Football-Oranje founder Michael Bell [? results]
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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.
