Sparta Rotterdam will play their final match at Sparta-Stadion Het Kasteel for the 2023-24 Eredivisie season this Sunday afternoon when they play host to a stuttering Heerenveen.
The hosts are currently in eighth place in the league standings with 46 points after 33 games, while the visitors are two places behind them in 11th with 37 points over the same period.
Match preview
After finishing a very solid sixth place in the top flight last season, Sparta Rotterdam will likely be somewhat disappointed with their return this term. They enter the final game week 13 points behind the 59-point tally they posted in the previous campaign.
Still, they are on course to turn this season into a positive one as they currently occupy the final Conference League playoff spot, three points ahead of ninth-placed Go Ahead Eagles, who suffered a costly 3-0 defeat to AZ Alkmaar last weekend.
After losing 4-2 to PSV at the start of the month, which saw the Boeren claim the league title, Jeroen Rijsdijk's side bounced straight back to winning ways with a gritty 1-0 win over Utrecht last week, leaving them needing just a single point from this match to secure eighth place in the league.
Sparta have been better on the road than at home this season, earning just 20 of their 46-point tally at Sparta-Stadion. However, 11 of those 20 points have come in their last six matches alone, including three wins, two draws and just one loss.
The last time these sides met, De Kasteelheren emerged as 3-1 winners and extended their unbeaten run against this opponent to six consecutive league matches, including three wins and three draws. The last time they were beaten by Heerenveen was in November 2020.
In contrast, Heerenveen's run-in to the end of the season has been far from impressive, and they enter the final day on a three-match winless streak, and with just one victory in their last nine league games.
During that time, De Superfriezen have recorded three draws and five losses, including an 8-0 drubbing at the hands of PSV and a shocking 3-1 loss to basement club Vitesse at home last weekend.
Kees van Wonderen's side have now conceded a massive 24 goals in their last nine games, taking their tally for the term to 68, which is the fifth-worst record in the division, only behind Excelsior (69), Heracles (74), Vitesse (72) and Volendam (86).
The visitors have earned 16 points in as many games away from Abe Lenstra Stadion this season, though they have avoided defeat in their last three, drawing against Waalwijk and Almere either side of a victory over Heracles.
Team News
Sparta Rotterdam are set to be without the servies of three players for this final match of the season with Joshua Kitolano, Django Warmerdam and Arno Verschueren all ruled out through injury.
Camiel Neghli scored the winner against Utrecht last week and should keep his place among the attacking trio, alongside Tobias Lauritsen and Koki Saito, with Metinho operating as the furthest-forward midfielder.
Heerenveen have maintained the same defensive quartet featuring Oliver Braude, Sven van Beek, Syb van Ottele and Mats Kohlert for the last four matches and are likely to remain unchanged at the back in this one.
Anas Tahiri, who scored the side's only goal against Vitesse last time out, will likely anchor the midfield alongside Thom Haye, while the club's top scorer Pelle van Amersfoort should continue to lead the line.
Sparta Rotterdam possible starting lineup:
Olij; Bakari, Vriends, Eerdhuijzen, Van Der Kust; Clement, De Guzman, Metinho; Saito, Lauritsen, Neghli
Heerenveen possible starting lineup:
Noppert; Braude, Van Beek, Van Ottele, Kohlert; Haye, Tahiri, Walemark, Brouwers, Sahraoui; Van Amersfoort
We say: Sparta Rotterdam 2-1 Heerenveen
While Sparta should secure the final Conference League playoff spot for the season, they are only two goals and three points ahead of Go Ahead Eagles and will want to avoid a nervy ending to the campaign. The hosts have been solid over the last four gameweeks, and we feel they will end the term with a narrow home win.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Devesh Jaganath
