SBV Excelsior prepare for the visit of Heerenveen to Van Donge & De Roo Stadion on Saturday night in round 13 of the 2022-23 Eredivisie season.
Off the back of respective defeats last time out, the teams will be looking to serve up a quick response in this weekend's meeting, which promises to be an absorbing affair.
Match preview
SBV Excelsior were on the receiving end of a comprehensive 3-1 defeat against Go Ahead Eagles in Saturday's encounter between the teams at De Adelaarshorst.
Goals from Willum Thor Willumsson, Bobby Adekanye and Isac Lidberg left Marinus Dijkhuizen's men with a mountain to climb before Lazaros Lamprou pulled one back in the 72nd minute of a largely one-sided contest.
The Kralingers have slipped down to 11th place in the Eredivisie table as a result, but they are just one point off a place in the top half.
Next on the menu is the task of facing off against an opposing side with just one win in the last six editions of this fixture over the last five years.
Currently on a two-game winning run in front of their fans, Saturday's hosts have turned a corner on their own patch and will be looking to continue in the same vein.
Heerenveen came away empty-handed from their most recent league outing against FC Utrecht, which ended in a narrow 2-1 loss at the Abe Lenstra Stadion on Saturday.
Kees van Wonderen's men took the lead courtesy of Sydney van Hooijdonk just past the half-hour mark, but they were soon pegged back by Anastasios Douvikas after which Modibo Sagnan grabbed the winner midway through the second half.
Consequently, De Superfriezen have dropped out of the Conference League playoff places to eighth in the standings, having dropped 10 of the last 15 points available.
With just one defeat in nine games on the road leading up to this weekend, Saturday's visitors go in search of another feather in the cap on enemy territory.
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Team News
Excelsior's Sven Nieuwpoort has missed seven straight matches since picking up a knee injury against FC Emmen in the second week of September, and he remains unavailable.
Lazaros Lamprou has found the back of the net four times in his last five appearances for the home side, making the forward one to keep an eye on here.
Twenty-eight-year-old Joost van Aken could finally make a long-awaited return to action for Heerenveen having been named on the bench in each of the last two matches.
Amin Sarr was on target in the last meeting between this weekend's opponents, and the Sweden international will be looking to deliver the goods once again for his side.
SBV Excelsior possible starting lineup:
Van Gassel; Markelo, Seymor, El Yaakoubi, Horemans; Goudmijn, Baas, Ayoub; Azarkan, Kharchouch, Lamprou
Heerenveen possible starting lineup:
Noppert; Van Ewijk, Van Beek, Bochniewicz, Kohlert; Sarr, Tahiri, Haye, Olsson; Al Hajj; Van Hooijdonk
We say: SBV Excelsior 1-2 Heerenveen
The teams have had little problem finding the back of the net this term, so we anticipate goals at both ends here. That said, we are tipping Heerenveen to get the better of their hosts and carry the day.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
