Preview: Go Ahead Eagles vs. RKC Waalwijk - prediction, team news, lineups

The home side are looking to pull further clear of relegation danger, while the visitors set out to strengthen their quest for European football.

Match preview

Go Ahead Eagles suffered a second consecutive league defeat as they were beaten 2-1 by SBV Excelsior in the teams' meeting at Van Donge & De Roo Stadion on Friday.

Rene Hake's men went behind to Couhaib Driouech's opener in the early exchanges of the second half but managed to draw level just past the hour mark through Willum Thor Willumsson before Julian Baas decided the game 25 minutes from time.

As a result, The pride of the IJssel Kowet remain 12th in the Eredivisie table, five points clear of the relegation zone with a game in hand.

Next up is the challenge of an opposing outfit who are winless in the most recent seven editions of this fixture across all competitions since 2019.

Unbeaten in all but one of their last 11 matches on home turf, Wednesday's hosts will be confident of coming away with a positive result in front of their fans.

Waalwijk made it back to back wins at the Mandemakers Stadion thanks to a narrow 2-1 victory over relegation-threatened Groningen on Saturday evening.

Joseph Oosting's men took the lead through Michiel Kramer 64 minutes in but conceded an equaliser to Ricardo Pepi shortly afterwards, only for Kramer to grab his second of the game from the penalty spot with four minutes left to play.

With 38 points picked up from their 28 matches this term, RKC sit eighth in the league standings, ahead of Heerenveen only on goal difference in the race for the final Conference League playoff spot.

Having let in nine goals across their last three away outings leading up to Wednesday's contest, the visitors will need to shore themselves up at the back if they are to secure what would be only a third triumph on the road all-season long.

Go Ahead Eagles Eredivisie form:

D

L

W

D

L

L

RKC Waalwijk Eredivisie form:

W

L

L

W

L

W

Team News

Federico Mattiello remains without an appearance for Go Ahead Eagles since late February as the midfielder continues to deal with a muscle overload.

Gerrit Nauber and Fredrik Oppegard have missed both of the hosts' last two games through injury but both players are expected to be back in action before the end of the month.

Mats Seuntjens is one to keep an eye on after he put on an impressive display in the reverse fixture between Wednesday's opponents earlier this season, where he was involved in all three of Waalwijk's goals.

Finn Stokkers ended up on the losing side in the aforementioned game but the 26-year-old will be keen to get one over his former teammates at the second time of asking.

Dutchman Michiel Kramer has scored three times in two matches either side of his one-game ban and that should see him retain his place in the starting lineup here.

Go Ahead Eagles possible starting lineup:

De Lange; Fontan, Idzes, Amofa, Deijl; Llansana, Rommens; Stokkers, Willumsson, Adekanye; Lidberg

RKC Waalwijk possible starting lineup:

Vaessen; Gaari, Van den Buijs, Nieuwpoort; Lelieveld, Bel Hassani, Anita, Clement, Lutonda; Kramer, Seuntjens

We say: Go Ahead Eagles 1-1 RKC Waalwijk

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