Preview: FC Utrecht vs. Heerenveen - prediction, team news, lineups

On the other hand, the away side make the trip this weekend aiming to avoid a third consecutive defeat and get their league campaign back on track.

Match preview

FC Utrecht were involved in arguably the game of the season so far as they played out a 5-5 stalemate against AZ Alkmaar at the AFAS Stadion on Saturday.

In a game which saw Vangelis Pavlidis and Anastasios Douvikas net hat-tricks for either side, Maxim Dekker, Mees de Wit, Nick Viergever and Sander van de Streek also got on the score sheet to earn Michael Silberbauer's men a hard-fought point.

Having picked up 30 points from their 19 matches, the Domstedelingen sit seventh in the Eredivisie table, three points clear of the chasing pack in the race for the final European spot.

Awaiting them next is the challenge of an opposing side who are without a victory in the most recent 11 editions of this fixture dating back to May 2018.

Currently averaging just one goal per game across their nine home league outings this term, Saturday's hosts will need to up the ante at the attacking end of the pitch to turn things around in front of their fans.

Heerenveen came away empty-handed from Saturday's encounter against Vitesse following a disappointing 3-1 defeat at the Abe Lenstra Stadion.

Kees van Wonderen's men opened the scoring through Pelle van Amersfoort midway through the first half before goals from Bartosz Bialek, Gabriel Vidovic and Million Manhoef turned the game on its head.

As a result, De Superfriezen have now fallen three points adrift of their next opponents in the league standings ahead of this weekend's clash which promises to be an exciting affair.

Winless in their most recent five matches on the road leading up to Saturday, the visitors will be keen to arrest their slump in form away from home.

FC Utrecht Eredivisie form:

W

D

D

L

W

D

Heerenveen Eredivisie form:

W

D

L

W

L

L

Team News

Bas Dost remains sidelined with a foot problem and the 33-year-old is set to sit out a third consecutive game for Utrecht, while Ramon Hendriks also misses out through injury.

Django Warmerdam and Bart Ramselaar are also out of contention for the home side through injury but the former is closing in on a return to action.

Following his three-goal haul last time out, Anastasios Douvikas has now netted five times in his last three starts, making him one to keep an eye on.

Heerenveen's Sven van Beek is unavailable through a ruptured achilles tendon and the Dutchman might have already played his final game of the season.

First-choice goalkeeper Andries Noppert continues to battle with a hip injury, meaning that Xavier Mous will retain his place between the sticks

FC Utrecht possible starting lineup:

Barkas; Van der Hoorn, Toornstra, Viergever, Klaiber; Sagnan, Booth; Van de Streek, Boussaid, Bozdogan; Douvikas

Heerenveen possible starting lineup:

Mous; Van Aken, Haye, Bochniewicz; Tahiri, Olsson, Van Amersfoort, Kohlert, Van Ewijk; Halilovic, Van Hooijdonk

We say: FC Utrecht 2-1 Heerenveen

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