Preview: Heracles vs. SBV Excelsior - prediction, team news, lineups

Both teams are vying for a spot in the Eredivisie relegation playoff final where one of ADO Den Haag or FC Eindhoven awaits.

Match preview

Heracles have it all to do off the back of a 3-0 defeat against Excelsior in Wednesday's meeting at the Van Donge & De Roo Stadion.

Goals from Marouan Azarkan, Thijs Dallinga and Couhaib Driouech left Frank Wormuth's men red-faced in Rotterdam.

The Hercelieden, who appeared to have preserved their top-flight status heading into the final matchday of the 2021-22 campaign, now run the risk of dropping to the second tier of Dutch football.

In order to prevent that from happening, Saturday's hosts would need to replicate their most recent victory over this weekend's opponents which was a 3-0 win back in 2018.

Excelsior exhibited no signs of fatigue as they brushed aside Heracles despite having gone all the way to extra time against Roda four days earlier.

Chantal Dijkhuizen's men failed to win any of their final six Eerste Divisie fixtures but have now won each of their two most recent playoff outings.

More impressingly, the aforementioned victories have yielded an aggregate score of 5-0, highlighting the efficiency of Saturday's visitors at both ends of the pitch.

While they do not necessarily need to come out on top this weekend, Excelsior head into the game on a high and will surely fancy themselves to carry the day once again.

Heracles Eredivisie Promotion Playoffs form:

Heracles form (all competitions):

SBV Excelsior Eredivisie Promotion Playoffs form:

SBV Excelsior form (all competitions):

Team News

Ismail Azzaoui, Elias Oubella and Kaj Sierhuis miss out for Heracles through knee injuries, while Janis Blaswich continues to nurse a muscle problem.

The home side will also be without the services of Orestis Kioumourtzoglou, who has not featured in the last six weeks.

Twenty-year-old Luuk Admiraal remains Excelsior's only guaranteed absentee for the game as he remains sidelined with a knee problem.

However, Marouan Azarkan could also be unavailable this weekend having come off thirty minutes into his side's last outing.

Should Azarkan be deemed not fit to participate, Julian Baas is on hand to come into the starting XI in place of his Dutch teammate.

Heracles possible starting lineup:

Bucker; Quagliata, Hoogma, Sonnenberg, Bakboord; De la Torre, Schoofs, Ouahim; Hansson, Armenteros, Laursen

SBV Excelsior possible starting lineup:

Van Gassel; Horemans, Nieuwpoort, El Yaakoubi, Tjoe; Baas, Wiffer, Eijgenraam, Goudmijn; Dallinga, Niemeijer

We say: Heracles 2-0 SBV Excelsior

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