Utrechtvs.NAC Breda

The Cupfighters' underwhelming form threatens to undermine their Champions League qualification prospects, but they hope to end that five-match sequence without a victory in front of their supporters when they host an opponent with one of the worst away records in the division this term.

Match preview

Fifth-placed Utrecht are locked in a four-club battle to finish third in the Eredivisie, with Ron Jans's men level with Feyenoord in third and AZ in fourth on 43 points, while FC Twente are one point adrift in sixth.

Nevertheless, Utreg's ambition to partake in the final round of Champions League qualifying has been undermined by a drop-off in performances and results over an extended period, highlighted by claiming two wins from 11 top-flight matches since the start of December.

Both wins — against Almere City (3-1) and Feyenoord (2-1) — were away from home, magnifying the Cupfighters' lack of success on home turf, which stands at five entering Saturday's contest with NAC Breda.

Although three of the past five matches at Stadion Galgenwaard have been defeats, being breached five times in 5-2 losses to PSV and Fortuna Sittard and letting in three in December's 3-3 draw with Go Ahead Eagles was especially worrisome for Jans's men, who notched five wins from their opening six Eredivisie games in front of their fans, conceding seven goals.

While Domstedelingen have stemmed the flow of goals conceded in recent home games against AZ (0-0) and Almere City (1-0 defeat), success on their turf continues to elude the Europe-chasing Cupfighters.

Thus, it is no surprise that Jans's side fare better on their travels — Utrecht hold the league's best away record (26 points) — while their tally of 17 points as hosts surpasses only seven teams, underscoring Utreg's biggest challenge to a maiden shot at Champions League football.

Even though the visitors will aim to extend their opponent's ongoing run without home victories, the promoted side's record on the road suggests that NAC have little chance of success.

The Breda-based side have accrued seven points on their travels all season, surpassing only Waalwijk's six, with their leaky defence playing a significant part in losing eight games from 11.

Parel van het Zuiden have let in 26 goals from 11 away games — only Heerenveen (31) and Waalwijk (29) have conceded more — and the 10th-placed visitors, whose only clean sheet away from home came in December's 2-0 success at Sparta Rotterdam, aim to halt a three-match losing run on the road — NAC have lost to Go Ahead Eagles (2-1), PSV (3-2) and Waalwijk (5-0).

Nevertheless, while they sit level on 27 points with Europe-chasing Groningen in eighth and Heerenveen in ninth, this season's target after a five-year top-flight absence was likely to be league survival, and Carl Hoefkens's troops sit seven points clear of Sparta in the relegation playoff spot and 10 above second-bottom Waalwijk.

However, the Breda-based club's form at the start of 2025 — five points from six games betters only Willem II (two) and Fortuna Sittard (one) — must improve if the promoted side aim to avoid a nervy end to the season.

FC Utrecht Eredivisie form:

W

D

D

D

L

D

FC Utrecht form (all competitions):

D

D

D

L

L

D

NAC Breda Eredivisie form:

L

W

L

D

L

D

Team News

Due to injury, Utrecht are expected to be without Rickson van Hees, Niklas Vesterlund, Miguel Rodriguez, Yoann Cathline and Can Bozdogan.

Despite failing to score in six Eredivisie appearances since his January move, Sebastien Haller should lead the attack for the hosts; the striker did score a brace in a cup match at Waalwijk in mid-January.

No Utrecht player has scored more match-winning goals than Paxten Aaronson (three), and the American aims to be decisive for the Cupfighters this weekend.

The away side have a surfeit of injury problems, with Terence Kongolo, Adam Kaied, Dion Versluis, Boy Kemper, Lars Mol, Cherrion Valerius and Raul Paula either doubtful or absent this weekend; Maximilien Balard is suspended after picking up his fifth booking of the season in last week's goalless encounter against Feyenoord.

No NAC player has outscored Elias Mar Omarsson (seven goals), with the team's top goalscorer notching three match-opening goals and two game-deciding strikes in 2024-25.

FC Utrecht possible starting lineup:

Barkas; Horemans, Hoorn, Viergever, Karouani; Iqbal, Engwanda; Descotte, Jensen, Aaronson; Haller

NAC Breda possible starting lineup:

Bielica; Busi, Greimi, Bergh, Lucassen; Staring, Leemans, Jensen, Sauer; Hooijdonk, Omarsson

We say: FC Utrecht 2-2 NAC Breda

Although 16 points separate both sides, the form table places NAC Breda (five points) above the Champions League-chasing Utrecht (four).

Written by

Anthony Brown

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