Nijmegenvs.Heracles

Match preview

Despite heading into the clash on a two-game winning run, NEC were always going to be up against it in their meeting against reigning champions PSV which ended 2-0 at the Philips Stadion on Saturday.

Kodai Sano's early red card all but extinguished any hopes of Rogier Meijer's men coming away with anything from the game as Luuk de Jong and Guus Til netted within five minutes of each other to settle matters.

The Eniesee will now go in search of an immediate return to winning ways, although if history is anything to go by, they could be in for yet another tough assignment.

NEC have won just one of their last seven matchups against Heracles, losing five times during that span, including a 3-1 defeat when the teams most recently locked horns in last season's reverse meeting.

Saturday's hosts follow up this weekend's encounter with a daunting task against last season's runners-up Feyenoord and could really do with a victory in the first of two consecutive home outings.

Heracles missed a glorious opportunity to finally get their league journey up and running against Almere City in Sunday's meeting having been on top for large spells of the contest.

While Erwin van de Looi would have been pleased to see his side pick up their first clean sheet since August's curtain-raiser at Sparta Rotterdam, it is now five games without a triumph.

Alongside Almere and RKC Waalwijk, Heracles are one of three teams still without a victory to their name this term and currently sit 16th in the Eredivisie table as a result.

If the Heraclieden are to turn things around, a major concern that must be addressed is their attacking toothlessness with just two strikes so far, and this is largely in keeping with their end to the last campaign, where they managed just one goal from the final five matches.

NEC Eredivisie form:

Heracles Eredivisie form:

Team News

After receiving his marching orders against PSV, NEC's Kodai Sano will serve a suspension, ruling him out of contention for this weekend's affair.

Robin Roefs will not play any part for the home side through injury, but Philippe Sandler is back in contention having returned from a muscle problem last time out.

Jan Zamburek and Jizz Hornkamp are both out of contention for Heracles in this one as they continue to nurse respective knee problems.

Sava-Arangel Cestic and Diego van Oorschot also miss out through ankle and muscle injuries respectively, while Stijn Bultman continues to nurse a meniscus problem.

Nikolai Laursen has been sidelined with a torn cruciate ligament since January and is not expected back in action until the latter stages of the campaign.

NEC possible starting lineup:

Van Gassel; Verdonk, Nuytinck, Sandler, Pereira; Proper, Hoedemakers; Ouwejan, Gonzalez, Onal; Ogawa

Heracles possible starting lineup:

De Keijzer; Benita, Mirani, Mesik, Roosken; De Keersmaecker, Scheperman; Podgoreanu, Engels, Zand; Kulenovic

We say: NEC 1-1 Heracles

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