NEC Nijmegen and SC Heerenveen are neck-and-neck in the Eredivisie table heading into gameweek 31's encounter at Stadion de Goffert on Saturday.
Both clubs — jointly on 38 points — still have an outside chance of making the European qualification playoffs but must have a near-perfect finish to the campaign to give themselves a chance.
Match preview
NEC could have ended in the Eredivisie's top seven, but a recent slump in results has seen Rogier Meijer's team fall seven points behind Utrecht with four games to play.
While they returned to winning ways against nearly relegated Groningen in late April, the previous outcomes have lessened the expectation in Nijmegen.
The eighth-placed side secured one point from an available nine, conceding eight goals in defeats against second-placed PSV Eindhoven and 13th-placed Vitesse, losing 4-2 and 4-1, respectively.
Only two wins have been claimed in their last seven league games, giving little confidence heading into the campaign's denouement.
Maybe two clean sheets in three games could be the foundation for a late-season push for Europe, perhaps intending to give little away at the back and take advantage of opportunities at the other end.
Heerenveen are in the same boat as the team they visit on Saturday, with both sides facing similar conclusions to their campaign.
The visitors were even in a stronger position to make the final European playoff spot, even though consecutive defeats against fifth-placed Sparta Rotterdam and a shock 3-2 home loss to relegation-threatened Emmen have left Kees van Wonderen's side wondering what might have been.
A three-game unbeaten run from mid-March to early April gave hope to the Super Frisians, even if a look at their broader form preceding that suggests otherwise.
Van Wonderen's team picked up one victory from eight league matches, losing six in that time, before that run of seven points from an available nine.
The inability to string more than two successive wins in the league this term also implies claiming maximum points in their remaining games, which gives them a fighting chance of supplanting Utrecht, is a long shot.
Team News
Joris Kramer returned to the bench after going off injured in NEC's defeat by Vitesse in round 29, and Meijer has to choose either the Dutchman or Philippe Sandler for a starting berth.
Robin Roefs — sidelined since the turn of the year — and Calvin Verdonk — out with injury since February — are not expected back on Saturday.
Sven van Beek and Andries Noppert, both out since January, are not going to make the Heerenveen team this weekend.
Joost van Aken suffered a knee injury in March, ruling out the centre-back for the rest of the season.
NEC possible starting lineup:
Cillessen; Van Rooij, Marquez, Sandler, El Karouani; Schone, Proper; Tavsan, Mattsson, Cissoko; Dimata
Heerenveen possible starting lineup:
Mous; Van Ewijk, Van Ottele, Bochniewicz, Kohlert; Haye, Tahiri; Olsson, Van Amersfoort, Sahraoui; Van Hooijdonk
We say: NEC 1-2 Heerenveen
Heerenveen have been let down by their home form this season, but the Super Frisians' results on their travels is the seven-best in the Eredivisie.
NEC have conceded a goal in 13 of their 15 fixtures at Stadion de Goffert, and a run that has seen them claim one win in their last six home games is likely to extend to a sole victory in seven on Saturday.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
