Vitesse play host to PEC Zwolle on Friday evening looking to kick-start their Eredivisie campaign with just their third win in 10 matches.
Although the visitors sit five places clear in ninth position in the standings, the home side can move level on points with victory at the GelreDome.
Match preview
© Reuters
With Vitesse having only finished down in 10th position last season, there was a feeling that Phillip Cocu needed to hit the ground running to bolster his position in the dugout.
Instead, he and his team have endured a dismal start to the campaign, already losing six of their nine fixtures and scoring just the six goals.
Collecting four points from recent fixtures against NEC Nijmegen and Excelsior hinted that Vitesse had started to turn the corner, yet they were thrashed by Feyenoord last time out.
The defending champions scored at regular intervals at De Kuip, while Vitesse have now netted just once in their most recent seven outings in the Dutch top flight.
Although a win on Friday has the potential to turn things around for Cocu, he will be beginning to wonder whether he can keep his job if maximum points do not arrive.
PEC Zwolle were not necessarily faring much better either side of the international break, posting four successive defeats in the Eredivisie.
However, coming from behind to record a 4-2 victory at Excelsior has moved Johnny Jansen's team away from the bottom three and into ninth place, just four points adrift of fifth.
Ajax remain the anomaly in the division, the expectation being that the Dutch giants will eventually move into the top half and beyond, yet there is a window of opportunity for teams like PEC Zwolle to gatecrash the European race.
At a time when Vitesse have failed to win at home and have scored just once, PEC Zwolle have collected six points on their travels from four outings.
Team News
Cocu switched formations at 1-0 down to Feyenoord, a move that failed to have its desired effect as his team conceded twice in the 15 minutes that followed.
Sticking with their trademark 4-2-3-1 feels likely, playmaker Kacper Kozlowski hoping to be available for this contest after his early withdrawal.
Said Hamulic will be hoping for a recall down the middle of the attack and a chance to net his first league goal of the season.
Jansen also made an early change against Excelsior, one that worked with Apostolos Vellios scoring twice for PEC Zwolle in a 15-minute period in the second half.
Vellios will almost certainly take the spot of Ferdy Druijf in what appears likely to be the only change to the starting lineup.
Vitesse possible starting lineup:
Room; Arcus, Oroz, Isimat-Mirin, Hendriks; Tielemans, Meulensteen; Manhoef, Van Ginkel, Kozlowski; Hamulic
PEC Zwolle possible starting lineup:
Schendelaar; Reijnders, Kersten, Poien, MacNulty; Buurmeester, Van den Berg; Namli, Thy, Velanas; Vellios
We say: Vitesse 2-0 PEC Zwolle
Having recorded an impressive away success last time out, there is a strong argument that PEC Zwolle are the clear favourites for this contest. However, we are backing the home side to bounce back from their humbling by Feyenoord to post their best result of the season.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Darren Plant
