Go Ahead Eagles and RKC Waalwijk lock horns at De Adelaarshorst on Saturday with both teams looking to fly out of the blocks as they take to the pitch for the first time in 2022.
Having already played out a share of the spoils in October's reverse fixture, a victory for either side this weekend would see them get the better of the other over the two matches.
Match preview
Go Ahead Eagles were outclassed and outmanoeuvred by Eredivisie leaders PSV Eindhoven in a 2-0 defeat three Thursdays ago.
Strikes in either half from Philipp Mwene and Cody Gakpo proved to be the difference between the teams at the Philips Stadion.
The Pride of the IJsel Kowet remain 11th in the league table, eight points clear of danger in what has been a decent return to the top flight after five years in the second tier.
Awaiting Kees Van Wonderen's men next is the challenge of an opposing side who are unbeaten in the last five meetings between the teams.
Waalwijk had to settle for a point in a 1-1 stalemate versus Sparta Rotterdam at the Het Kasteel on December 23.
Joseph Oosting's men took the lead in the 27th minute through Jens Odgaard, but parity was soon restored as Vito van Crooy levelled the matter six minutes shy of half time.
RKC are three points and one place above the drop zone and run the risk of being dragged into a relegation scrap if results do not improve.
Saturday's visitors are yet to win a league game away from home all-season long, with their only victory on the road this term coming in a KNVB-Beker clash versus lower league opposition Harkemase Boys.
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Team News
Sam Crowther remains out with a heart problem, and the 21-year-old will not play any part for Go Ahead Eagles this weekend.
Joris Kramer is also unavailable for this weekend's hosts as he serves a suspension following his red card against PSV Eindhoven.
Frank Ross made a fifth consecutive substitute appearance last time out as the midfielder continues to be slowly eased back into action following his recent recovery from an ankle injury.
Waalwijk's Richard van der Venne is yet to fully recover from a knee injury which he picked up just past the hour mark in the reverse fixture.
David Min still awaits his season debut as he currently nurses a long-term leg injury, while Sebbe Augustijns is set to miss a third consecutive game due to a torn muscle.
Go Ahead Eagles possible starting lineup:
Hahn; Tuzlacik, Nauber, Idzes; Kuipers, Lucassen, Brouwers, Oratmangoen, Rommens; Cordoba, Botos
RKC Waalwijk possible starting lineup:
Vaessen; Buttner, Van den Buijs, Meulensteen, Adewoye, Bakari; Mulder, Anita, Bel Hassani; Odgaard, Kramer
We say: Go Ahead Eagles 2-1 RKC Waalwijk
Neither team has been convincing of late, and this weekend's game could easily swing in either direction. However, we are tipping the home side to get the job done come the sound of the final whistle.
Top tip
Data Analysis
Our analysis of all available data, including recent performances and player stats up until an hour before kickoff, suggested the most likely outcome of this match was a Go Ahead Eagles win with a probability of 49.59%. A win for RKC Waalwijk had a probability of 25.63% and a draw had a probability of 24.8%.
The most likely scoreline for a Go Ahead Eagles win was 1-0 with a probability of 10.81%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 2-1 (9.51%) and 2-0 (8.73%). The likeliest RKC Waalwijk win was 0-1 (7.29%), while for a drawn scoreline it was 1-1 (11.77%). The actual scoreline of 0-2 was predicted with a 4% likelihood.
