Afghanistan
Angola
Argentina
Asia (AFC)
Asian Games
Australia
Belgium-Netherlands
Brazil
Burkina Faso
Central American & Caribbean Games
Central American Games
Congo DR
Denmark
England
Europe (UEFA)
FYR Macedonia
Finland
Germany
Greece
International Tournaments
Italy
Mediterranean Games
Mexico
National
Nepal
North & Central America (Concacaf)
Palestine
Pan American Games
Panama
Russia
Scandinavia
Serbia And Montenegro
South American Games
Spain
Syria
USA
Venezuela
World (FIFA)
Yemen
Zimbabwe

PEC Zwollevs.Excelsior

sportsmole.co.uk, 4 April 2024, 13:29
Two relegation-threatened sides do battle on Saturday evening when PEC Zwolle host SBV Excelsior at the MAC³PARK Stadion in the Eredivisie.

The hosts are 14th and six points clear of the visitors, who occupy the relegation playoff spot, but they are just a point from safety.

Match preview

PEC Zwolle had been having a solid first season back in the top flight up until a recent run of eight games without victory, six of those being defeats, has seen them cascade down the table and into 14th place.

That will have come as a huge disappointment to the home side, who found themselves in eighth place on matchday 21 thanks to an impressive run of six matches without defeat, the longest unbeaten streak they have put together this season.

Johnny Jansen's men could now be dragged even closer to the relegation zone if they drop points in the upcoming meeting with Excelsior, who are just six points behind them in the relegation playoff spot.

PEC Zwolle will take solace from the fact that they have not lost to Excelsior in a league setting since 2010, leaving them unbeaten in the last 11 league meetings between the sides.

However, Jansen's team have been extremely poor when playing at the MAC³PARK Stadion this season, only managing to pick up 12 points from the 14 games they have played in front of their home crowd.

Having said that, Excelsior have been one of the worst teams when playing on the road in the Eredivisie, taking nine points from 14 away matches thanks to two wins and three draws.

Marinus Dijkhuizen's side secured their survival in the top flight by the skin of their teeth last season, moving out of the relegation playoff zone in the final matches, sending FC Emmen down in the process as they lost to Almere City in the playoff match.

They will now be looking to repeat that feat once again this campaign as with six games left they are just a point behind RKC Waalwijk, while a win on Saturday would see them move to within three points of PEC Zwolle.

Wins have come as a rarity for Excelsior though, recording victory in only four of their 28 league games, with the last of those coming against SC Heerenveen in January.

PEC Zwolle Eredivisie form:

L

L

D

L

L

L

SBV Excelsior Eredivisie form:

L

L

L

D

L

L

Team News

Both sides are dealing with vast injury lists coming into this game, leaving neither side at full strength in this potential relegation six-pointer.

The hosts are likely to be without up to five players for this one, but Ferdy Druijf, Nick Fichtinger, Ryan Thomas and Zico Buurmeester are all potentially looking at returns in the coming weeks.

Youngster Samir Lagsir has failed to make an appearance since February 2023, but the midfielder is looking to return to the fold in the upcoming matches.

PEC Zwolle will once again be relying on the services of their top scorer Lennart Thy, who has scored 11 times this season, to earn them valuable points in this one.

As for Excelsior, Arthur Zagre will remain out until later this month after suffering a hamstring injury in March.

They could also be without Ian Smeulers, Kik Pierie, Lennard Hartjes, Redouan El Yaakoubi, Serano Seymor and leading scorer Troy Parrott, who are all doubts for this match.

PEC Zwolle possible starting lineup:

Schendelaar; Van der Water; Kersten, Lam, McNulty; El Azzouzi; Reijnders, Krastev, Van den Berg, Thy; Namli

SBV Excelsior possible starting lineup:

Van Gassel; Benita, Horemans, Widell, De Moes; Baas, Sandra; Naujoks, Goudmijn, Uddenas; Duijvestijn

We say: PEC Zwolle 1-1 SBV Excelsior

Both teams have been struggling for form in recent weeks, both entering into this game without victory for a stretch of matches, and we expect them to extend their search for victory with a draw here.

Previews by email

Top News

22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Holstein Kiel will hope to use their home crowd at Holstein-Stadion to spur them to victory against Mainz 05 in the Bundesliga on Sunday, as they continue their quest for survival. 22 November 2024 talksport.com Football fans will forever cherish the intense jubilation that comes with their team scoring a late winning goal. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Two sides separated by one spot will go head-to-head in the Turkish Super Lig when Besiktas welcome Goztepe SK to Tupras Stadyumu on Sunday. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk After seeing their seven-match unbeaten run in the Turkish Super Lig end, Samsunspor will hope to pick up the pieces when they welcome Alanyaspor to the Samsun 19 May Stadium on Sunday. 22 November 2024 talksport.com Trent Alexander-Arnold is a major doubt for Liverpool's visit to face Southampton this weekend. 22 November 2024 talksport.com Arsenal hope to have Bukayo Saka available when they face Nottingham Forest in the Premier League this weekend. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Bournemouth will have the opportunity to set a new club record when they take on Brighton & Hove Albion in Saturday's Premier League contest. 22 November 2024 talksport.com Steven Gerrard has hailed the performances of Liverpool's academy graduate Curtis Jones this season. 22 November 2024 talksport.com Reece James faces an uncertain future in football due to his ongoing injury problems. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Chelsea Women will look to maintain their 100% record in all competitions when they face Manchester United Women in Sunday's Women's Super League contest at Kingsmeadow. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Barcelona will be looking to record their 12th La Liga victory of the 2023-24 campaign when they travel to Celta Vigo on Saturday night. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United will be bidding to make it 10 straight away league victories over promoted teams when they head to Portman Road on Sunday afternoon to tackle Ipswich Town. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim has revealed that he will not make a final decision on his squad for Sunday's Premier League clash with Ipswich Town until after Saturday's training session. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester City striker Erling Haaland has labelled Pep Guardiola the best manager in the world and "probably the best to have ever existed on Earth". 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Two places separate Willem II and NAC Breda in the Eredivisie table heading into Sunday's gameweek 13 meeting at Koning Willem II Stadion. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Premier League football returns this weekend, with the final international break of 2024 now being completed. 22 November 2024 talksport.com Jack Grealish has revealed whether or not he would ever appear on I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Pep Guardiola has insisted he will remain Manchester City manager even if the club are relegated over alleged breaches of financial rules. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Aiming for a victory to start Patrick Vieira's tenure positively, Genoa seek maximum against a Cagliari side one place ahead of them in the Serie A table ahead of Sunday's gameweek 13 match at Stadio Comunale Luigi Ferraris. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Ruben Amorim takes charge of his inaugural Manchester United match on Sunday afternoon, when his Red Devils side face Ipswich Town at Portman Road in the Premier League. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is guaranteed to set a new club record in Saturday's Premier League home meeting with Nottingham Forest. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Southampton boss Russell Martin has confirmed that both Aaron Ramsdale and Jan Bednarek will be sidelined for "a number of weeks". 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Alistair Johnston has claimed that he is "exactly where I want to be" as he enters the prime years of his career after signing a contract extension at Celtic until the summer of 2029. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Ajax will be looking to extend their unbeaten run in the Eredivisie this weekend when they face off against PEC Zwolle at the Johan Cruijff Arena on Sunday afternoon. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Premier League champions Manchester City will be looking to return to winning ways when they welcome Tottenham Hotspur to the Etihad Stadium on Saturday evening. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Looking to strengthen their case for a top-six finish, Swansea City will welcome Premier League-chasing Leeds United to Swansea. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Chelsea's hopes of claiming all three points against Leicester City may be tempered by the recent record following international windows. 22 November 2024 talksport.com Lionel Messi continues to break records while in the twilight of his career - but one stat has proved impossible for even him to top. 22 November 2024 talksport.com No list of all-time Premier League goals can be complete without Tony Yeboah's memorable screamer against Liverpool in August 1995. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Ipswich Town midfielder Kalvin Phillips is eligible to return from suspension for the Tractor Boys' Premier League showdown with Manchester United at Portman Road on Sunday.
Tomorrow at 14:00
A
Verona Verona
-
sch
Inter Inter
Tomorrow at 20:00
L1
Reims Reims
-
sch
Lyon Lyon