Burkina Faso
Czech Republic
Indonesia
Lithuania
Montenegro
Nigeria
North Macedonia

Preview: Fortuna Sittard vs. Groningen - prediction, team news, lineups

sportsmole.co.uk, 31 March 2023, 22:50
Fortuna Sittard and Groningen draw the curtain on round 27 of the 2022-23 Eredivisie season with their meeting at the Fortuna Sittard Stadion on Sunday.

With both teams currently on a dry patch heading into the weekend, neither will want to come away empty-handed from what is set to be an enthralling affair.

Match preview

Fortuna were beaten for the fourth time in five matches following a narrow 2-1 defeat against FC Volendam at the Kras Stadion two Fridays ago.

Quickfire goals either side of half time from Carel Eiting and Oskar Buur left Julio Velazquez's men with a mountain to climb after which Tijjani Noslin pulled one back just past the hour mark.

As a result, the Fortunezen have dropped down to 12th place in the Eredivisie table but remain a whopping eight points clear of the relegation zone.

Up next is the challenge of an opposing outfit with little to choose between the teams as the last six encounters have been evenly split into three wins apiece.

With daunting assignments against Ajax and AZ Alkmaar to follow Sunday's contest, the home side go in search of a morale-boosting win to help set the tone for a tough run of matches on the horizon.

Groningen suffered a third straight defeat without finding the back of the net courtesy of a 2-0 loss against Heerenveen at Euroborg on March 19.

Dennis van der Ree's men conceded two goals in a disastrous 13-minute spell late in the first half to Sydney van Hooijdonk and that was enough to put them to the sword.

With 17 points picked up from their 26 matches,Trots van het Noorden sit bottom but one in the league standings, six points adrift of safety.

Having failed to win any of their seven outings on the road in 2023 - losing six of them - Sunday's visitors will be keen to turn their away fortunes around heading into the final phase of the season.

Fortuna Sittard Eredivisie form:

W

L

L

W

L

L

Groningen Eredivisie form:

L

D

W

L

L

L

Team News

Paulos Abraham and Daleho Irandust are Groningen's only guaranteed absentees for this one, although the latter is closing in on a return to action.

Following a lengthy injury layoff, Nordin Musampa recently made his comeback for the away side and could be handed a place in the starting XI here.

Ricardo Pepi heads into this weekend's contest with the wind in his sails after netting three times in two games for the United States during the just-concluded international break.

Oguzhan Ozyakup has missed Sittard's most recent two outings with a hamstring problem and the 30-year-old is also expected to sit out Sunday's match.

Dogan Erdogan was named on the hosts' bench last time out but it remains to be seen whether the midfielder will be deemed fit enough to play a part in this one.

Fortuna Sittard possible starting lineup:

Pandur; Cox, Siovas, Guth, Pinto; Duarte, Bistrovic; Cordoba, Buitink, Noslin; Yilmaz

Groningen possible starting lineup:

Verrips; Willems, Sorensen, Blokzijl, Balker; Hove, Duarte, Suslov; Manu, Pepi, Maatta

We say: Fortuna Sittard 1-1 Groningen

Previews by email

Top News

13 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Championship title hopefuls Leeds United will be looking to maintain their position at the top of the table when they travel to Loftus Road to face Queens Park Rangers on Saturday lunchtime. 13 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United booked their spot in the quarter-finals of the Europa League courtesy of a 4-1 victory over 10-man Real Sociedad in the second leg of their last-16 contest in the competition on Thursday night. 13 March 2025 talksport.com Bruno Fernandes scored a hat-trick and made Europa League history as Manchester United came from behind to beat Real Sociedad 4-1. 13 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Chelsea maintained their flawless record in the Conference League as they defeated Copenhagen 1-0 on Thursday, sealing a 3-1 aggregate victory and booking their place in the quarter-finals. 13 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Tottenham Hotspur's hopes of ending a 17-year trophy drought remain alive thanks to a 3-1 win over AZ Alkmaar in the second leg of their Europa League last-16 tie, which sealed a 3-2 aggregate victory. 13 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Two sides looking to move further clear of the Turkish Super Lig relegation zone go head-to-head on Saturday as Kasimpasa welcome Alanyaspor to the Recep Tayyip Erdogan Stadium. 13 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Two teams looking to bounce back from defeats meet on Saturday as Istanbul Basaksehir host Trabzonspor at the Basaksehir Fatih Terim Stadium. 13 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Off the back of a narrow loss to Inter Miami in their last league outing, Charlotte FC will host FC Cincinnati in their latest MLS fixture at the Bank of America Stadium on Saturday evening. 13 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Two sides at opposite ends of the Turkish Super Lig table will go head-to-head as Konyaspor welcome Besiktas to the Torku Arena. 13 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Gaziantep will be looking to secure three successive victories for the first time this season when they welcome relegation-threatened Kayserispor to Gaziantep Stadium on Saturday. 13 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Sporting Kansas City will be looking to snap their run of five defeats from their opening five games when they play host to Minnesota United at Children's Mercy Park on Sunday morning. 13 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Everton welcome West Ham United to Goodison Park for a bottom-half Premier League contest on Saturday afternoon. 13 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Brentford boss Thomas Frank has revealed that Fabio Carvalho faces an uphill battle to play again this season. 13 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim has named Ayden Heaven in his starting side for Thursday's Europa League last-16 second leg with Real Sociedad. 13 March 2025 talksport.com Mauricio Pochettino has told talkSPORT he dreams of returning to Tottenham one day. 13 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Chelsea and Copenhagen have confirmed their starting lineups for Thursday's Conference League fixture at Stamford Bridge. 13 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester City expert Steven McInerney from Esteemed Kompany believes Pep Guardiola's side will need to score at least two goals if they wish to beat Brighton & Hove Albion in Saturday's Premier League contest at the Etihad Stadium. 13 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Santos president Marcelo Teixeira is hopeful that the club will be able to sign Neymar to a fresh contract. 13 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Erling Haaland will attempt to set a fresh Premier League record when Manchester City welcome Brighton & Hove Albion to the Etihad Stadium on Saturday afternoon. 13 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Former Premier League striker Jermain Defoe has exclusively told Sports Mole he does not believe that Darwin Nunez can rescue his career at Liverpool. 13 March 2025 talksport.com Real Sociedad midfielder Arsen Zakharyan is reportedly unavailable for their second leg clash Manchester United due to visa issues. 13 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Barcelona have reportedly reignited their interest in Lille forward Jonathan David. 13 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Real Madrid have confirmed that Ferland Mendy is facing a spell on the sidelines with the muscular problem that he picked up during Wednesday's Champions League last-16 second leg against Atletico Madrid. 13 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk West Ham United could be without up to four players for Saturday's Premier League clash with Everton at Goodison Park. 13 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Everton are set to be without five players for Saturday's Premier League clash with West Ham United at Goodison Park. 13 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk UEFA have revealed that they will "enter discussions" with FIFA and IFAB over a potential rule change following Julian Alvarez's controversial spot-kick in Wednesday's Champions League clash between Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid. 13 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Everton manager David Moyes will renew acquaintances with one of his former clubs West Ham United when they do battle at Goodison Park in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon. 13 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Brighton & Hove Albion could be without up to seven players for Saturday's Premier League clash with Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium. 13 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester City will be without at least four players for Saturday's Premier League clash Brighton & Hove Albion at the Etihad Stadium. 13 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Valencia's battle to stay out of the La Liga relegation zone will continue on Saturday night, when they head to Estadi Montilivi to tackle a Girona outfit that are without a victory since the start of February.