Heraclesvs.Groningen

These two are separated by just two points in the league standings, with the visitors currently on 16 points and in 14th place, while the hosts are right behind them in 15th.

Match preview

Heracles will enter their final league match of the year off the back of a dramatic 1-0 victory over NEC during extra-time in midweek, which booked them a spot in the third round of the KNVB Beker.

That result would have given Heraclieden a much-needed boost of confidence, having ended up on the receiving end of a 5-2 battering by Feyenoord on the road in the league just four days earlier.

De club aan de Maas were ruthless in that match, with Santiago Gimenez bagging a hat-trick in the first half before David Hancko put the result beyond doubt just four minutes after the break.

The defeat also marked Erwin van de Looi's side's fifth consecutive league game without a victory (W0 D2 L3), and was the third time in the last four matches they had conceded two or more goals.

The hosts have now shipped a total of 33 goals this season - the third most in the top flight - but they have been much more competitive at home lately, losing only one of their last five matches here at Asito Stadion.

Meanwhile, Groningen will be relatively content with their return in their first season back in the top flight, as they will enter the festive break at least seven points clear of the drop, or at best, 13 ahead of the bottom two if they win this match.

Unfortunately for Trots van het Noorden, though, their KNVB Beker campaign was brought to an end in midweek, when they were knocked out of the competition by AZ Alkmaar 3-1 on the road.

In league terms, Dick Lukkien's side lost their last match 2-0 to Twente, but they have taken seven points from their last five games, which is a notable improvement following six defeats on the bounce between the end of September and the start of November.

However, the visitors have been very poor on the road recently, currently on a six-match losing streak, a period during which they have conceded 19 goals while only managing to score twice themselves.

Heracles Eredivisie form:

W

L

D

L

D

L

Heracles form (all competitions):

L

D

L

D

L

W

Groningen Eredivisie form:

L

W

L

W

D

L

Groningen form (all competitions):

W

L

W

D

L

L

Team News

Stijn Bultman has been out of action for Heracles since March due to a knee injury, but the midfielder has now resumed light training with the team and should be part of the squad again in the New Year.

Jordy Bruijn will not feature this weekend having been granted special leave, while

Sava-Arangel Cestic and Nikolai Laursen are both still out for the foreseeable future with injuries.

Groningen will have to make do without the services of midfield duo Leandro Bacuna and Stije Resink for this match after the pair crossed the yellow card threshold for the first half of the campaign last weekend.

In terms of injury absentees, Luciano Valente will sit out the match owing to overload and Tika de Jonge will miss his seventh consecutive game due to a muscle injury sustained last month.

Heracles possible starting lineup:

De Keijzer; Benita, Mirani, Mesik, Roosken; De Keersmaecker, Van Kaam; Engels, Zand, Scheperman; Hornkamp

Groningen possible starting lineup:

Vaessen; Stam, Rente, Blokzijl, Peersman; Oosting, Pelupessy, Hove, Schreuders; Van Bergen, Postema

We say: Heracles 2-1 Groningen

While Groningen are ahead of this opponent by two points in the league standings, they have one of the worst away records in the division this season and failed to score a single goal in their last four matches on the road.

Heracles, on the other hand, are unbeaten in three at home and ran Ajax to the wire in a seven-goal thriller before that. We feel the hosts will get the result in this one.

Written by

Devesh Jaganath

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