There is little to choose between the teams ahead of what is set to be a closely-contested affair, and while we expect goals at both ends, we are backing a share of the spoils with honours split evenly at the end of the 90 minutes.
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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 NEC win with a probability of 46.38%. A win for Sparta Rotterdam had a probability of 27.65% and a draw had a probability of 26%.
The most likely scoreline for a NEC win was 1-0 with a probability of 11.4%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 2-1 (9.15%) and 2-0 (8.45%). The likeliest Sparta Rotterdam win was 0-1 (8.33%), while for a drawn scoreline it was 1-1 (12.34%). The actual scoreline of 0-0 was predicted with a 7.7% likelihood. Our team at Sports Mole correctly predicted a draw in this match.