Round seven of the 2024-25 Eredivisie season sees Sparta Rotterdam welcome Fortuna Sittard to the Sparta Stadion Het Kasteel on Saturday evening.
The teams head into this one off the back of contrasting results, as the hosts claimed a 2-1 victory last time out while their visitors were on the receiving end of a 3-1 defeat.
Match preview
Sparta Rotterdam made it consecutive away league wins for the first time since April courtesy of a narrow 2-1 triumph over a struggling RKC Waalwijk outfit at the Mandemakers Stadion on Saturday.
Unsurprisingly, in-form Camiel Neghli was the point of difference for De Rood-Witte Gladiatoren once again, as his third strike in four matches proved to be the decisive moment.
Since failing to win any of their opening three matches of the campaign, Jeroen Rijsdijk's men have now claimed maximum points from two of their subsequent three matches either side of the international break.
This upturn in form has propelled Sparta to seventh in the Eredivisie table despite scoring the fewest goals of any team in the top half, while only Willem II have been breached on more occasions.
Ahead of a tough assignment against PSV Eindhoven next weekend, Saturday's hosts now go in search of a morale-boosting victory in front of their fans, where they are yet to win this term.
Fortuna Sittard kicked off their league journey with back-to-back wins over Go Ahead Eagles and Almere City, but their form has since nosedived with no immediate signs of a renaissance.
Danny Buijs's men are currently on a run of four straight league losses—the most recent of which came against reigning champions PSV at the Fortuna Sittard Stadion on Sunday.
Strikes from Malik Tillman in both halves and a Luuk de Jong goal rendered Ezequiel Bullaude's first-half effort inconsequential to heap more misery on the Fortunezen in a largely one-sided affair.
Bullaude's strike against PSV was perhaps the only positive takeaway, as it ended a three-game goal drought for his side off the back of consecutive blanks against NEC, NAC Breda and Ajax.
Having scored just one goal across their last four meetings against Sparta, Fortuna's attacking malaise could not have come at a worse time as they look to dig themselves out of a downward spiral.
Team News
Midfielder Teo Quintero made a return to action for Sparta Rotterdam against Waalwijk and is expected to retain his place in the starting lineup for this one.
Camiel Neghli was forced off with an injury scare in the final knockings of the aforementioned game, making his involvement this weekend uncertain.
Jonathan de Guzman was named amongst the substitutes last time out, but it remains to be seen if the midfielder will be fit enough to feature in this one.
Fortuna's Kristoffer Peterson is out of contention for a second game running due to a muscle problem, while Alessio Da Cruz misses out with a foot injury.
Kaj Sierhuis is also unavailable due to a knee problem, although the 26-year-old Dutchman is drawing increasingly closer to making his comeback.
Sparta Rotterdam possible starting lineup:
Olij; Van der Kust, Eerdhuijzen, Quintero, Reith; Kitolano, Clement; Nassoh, Verschueren, Namli; Lauritsen
Fortuna Sittard possible starting lineup:
Branderhorst; Pinto, Van Ottele, Adewoye, Dahlhaus; Mitrovic, Fosso, Rosier; Halilovic, Aiko, Bullaude
We say: Sparta Rotterdam 2-0 Fortuna Sittard
Sparta Rotterdam head into this one with the wind in their sails and are huge favourites to get the job done on home turf.
We can see them rising up to expectations by claiming a relatively routine win come the sound of the final whistle.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
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