Michael Statham offers his predictions and bet365 tips for week 32’s Eredivisie fixtures. This weekend, Michael faces Stoke City’s Erik Pieters. The left-back recently gave his predictions in an exclusive interview with Football-Oranje, which you can see HERE. The ex-PSV and Utrecht player is confident of his former sides this weekend, as both Erik and Michael predict the huge match between PSV and Ajax.
- By Michael Statham
- Follow Michael on Twitter @EredivisieMike
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Friday 21st April
Heerenveen v Willem II
Despite the fact that Heerenveen have conceded 17 goals in their previous four away games, you wouldn’t have lost any +1.0 Asian handicap with the Frisians at home this season.
Their recent slump hasn’t got any better but I would back them to beat Willem II. The visitors enjoyed a run of three wins and four clean sheets from five matches around Christmas time, but this has been followed by one point and no clean sheets from the next four away games.
Michael’s prediction: 2-0
Erik’s prediction: 3-0
Tip: Heerenveen -0.5 Asian handicap. (click the link or the bet365 banners to find out more…)
Saturday 22nd April
NEC v Excelsior
This is a momental fixture at the bottom of the table.
NEC’s lackadaisical second half of the season has seen them fall from mid-table to seventeenth, and they simply have to win this to have any chance of escaping the bottom three. Nijmegen have a worse goal difference than the sides above them and have to play AZ and Heerenveen afterwards, whereas their rivals mostly play teams around them in the table.
Excelsior also clearly need the points, but have played well of late.
Judging by the attitude of NEC’s players against Twente, I can’t see the miraculous turn around in performance and quality that they need.
NEC needed a result tonight and played possibly one of the worst games I've seen from any Eredivisie side. No quality nor passion. #twenec
— Michael Statham (@EredivisieMike) April 15, 2017
Michael’s prediction: 1-2
Erik’s prediction: That’s a difficult game. I think 1-1.
PEC Zwolle v Heracles
Mid-table PEC enjoyed a 2-2 draw with leaders Feyenoord in their last home match but got whitewashed by Groningen 5-1 in the game after.
Heracles are also inconsistent, but have been pretty reliable of late for their good form.
I can see quite a lazy display from both sides here. But also a few goals.
Michael’s prediction: 2-1
Erik’s prediction: 2-1
AZ v Twente
The away win at Heracles was much needed ahead of AZ’s cup final next weekend. This tie with Twente is another opportunity to prepare themselves against decent opposition.
As I said in last week’s predictions, Twente are different animals at home and away. They made light work of NEC but the week before they were comprehensively beaten by Utrecht.
Enes Unal is normally a good bet for a goal, but I think AZ will head into the cup final in good spirits after a tight victory.
Michael’s prediction: 2-1
Erik’s prediction: I’ll go for my boy Krul! They need to win. 2-0
Go Ahead Eagles v Groningen
Five points from avoiding a direct relegation with three games to go would suggest to me that Go Ahead are now doomed.
I think they’ll put up one last fight with Groningen, but the away side come into this on the back of 10 goals scored in three matches.
Go Ahead’s defence is leaky and I would expect Bryan Linssen’s rude form to continue.
Michael’s prediction: 2-3
Erik’s prediction: 1-2
Tip: Over 2.5 goals.
Sunday 23rd April
Utrecht v Roda JC
If this fixture was any earlier in the season, I would have almost blindly predicted a home win. However, Roda have picked up seven points out of nine and look a much more confident side going forward these days.
That said, if you peer at their away form, a lucky draw with AZ was preceded by heavy defeats to ADO, PSV and Heerenveen.
Utrecht gave Feyenoord a tough game last Sunday and I think Ten Hag’s men could have had something to show for it on another day, but were undone by two moments of pure quality. Roda don’t have anywhere near the same level of players as Feyenoord, hence I’m backing the home side to bag three points.
Michael’s prediction: 3-1
Erik’s prediction: Haller to score three times. 3-0
Tip: Haller to score.
Vitesse v Feyenoord
When I looked at Feyenoord’s title run-in, I tipped this match to be the one where the league leaders would slip up. Now we’re here, I actually think van Bronckhorst’s side will win this one fairly comfortably.
Vitesse are without key top goalscorer Ricky van Wolfswinkel, who is suspended, plus the display in the defeat to Excelsior lacked conviction. The players were frightened to get injured and perhaps were not keen to put 100% into the match, seeing as their season rides on the cup final next weekend.
The Arnhem side would of course have to raise their level for the visit of Feyenoord but I predict another below par performance from Vitesse without van Wolfswinkel.
Michael’s prediction: 0-2
Erik’s prediction: 0-2
Sparta v ADO Den Haag
Poor results are hitting Sparta at the wrong time of the season. Four defeats from four see the Rotterdammers sitting in the bottom three. Luckily they now face ADO in a do or die game.
ADO are down there with Sparta, but three successive wins and draw with PSV have dug them out of trouble. Does that suggest ADO will begin to feel safe in this match?
The visitors still have issues in defence, but have found a way to score more down the other end since Alfons Groenendijk took charge.
I can’t pick a winner here, but with Sparta at home in desperate need of the points, you’d be tempted to lean towards them. Draw.
Michael’s prediction: 1-1
Erik’s prediction: 1-0
PSV v Ajax
This is the tie of the weekend. It’s a shame then that there’s little riding on the game for PSV, with now only a glimmer of hope remaining for second place.
They’ll still want to win this for pride though, and maybe they will enjoy having more room at home to Ajax, who need the three points.
Because of Ajax’s Europa League match in Germany on Thursday and the requirement of three points, I would be very impressed indeed if Peter Bosz could achieve yet another win.
I will back the title chasers because even though PSV will be professional in this match, their season is over and mentality plays a massive role at this stage of the campaign.
Michael’s prediction: 1-3
Erik’s prediction: I knew this was coming…I prefer PSV above Ajax and I’m a Utrecht supporter… 2-1
Tip: BTTS – yes.
Accumulator for all nine winners from Michael with a £10 bet returns: £8534.10
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How have I done so far?
Week 1: 4 results
Week 2: 3 results, 1 correct score
Week 3: 4 results, 1 correct score
Week 4: 6 results, 1 correct score
Week 5: 6 results, 2 correct scores
Week 6: 4 results, 2 correct scores
Week 7: 3 results
Week 8: 7 results, 3 correct scores
Week 9: 4 results, 1 correct score
Week 10: 5 results, 2 correct scores
Week 11: 3 results
Week 12: 2 results, 1 correct score
Week 13: 4 results
Week 14: 6 results
Week 15: 4 results
Week 16: 5 results (versus writer Michael Bell)
Week 17: 2 results (versus writer James Rowe)
Week 18: 5 results (versus Aston Villa player Leandro Bacuna)
Week 19: 5 results
Week 20: 4 results, 1 correct score (versus Football Manager Head Researcher Jeroen Thijssen)
Week 21: 4 results (versus Eredivisie tipster Crypto)
Week 22: 6 results, 2 correct scores (versus commentator Richard Connelly)
Week 23: 7 results, 2 correct scores
Week 24: 6 results, 1 correct score (versus commentator Mark van Rijswijk)
Week 25: 2 results, 1 correct score (versus commentator Michiel Teeling)
Week 26: 5 results (versus writer Michael Bell)
Week 27: 4 results (versus Eredivisie tipster Crypto)
Week 28: 5 results, 2 correct scores (versus Eredivisie tipster TipsterFromHolland)
Week 29: 5 results (versus writer James Rowe)
Week 30: 3 results (versus commentator Paul Thomas Clay)
Week 31: 4 results (versus Eredivisie tipster Crypto)