Willem IIvs.Utrecht

The visitors ended a winless run last time out to return to third spot, while their hosts now only sit a single point above the relegation playoff place.

Match preview

Willem II head into the weekend aiming to end a dismal run of form and rebuild a lead over the Eredivisie's relegation places, having dropped to 15th spot in recent weeks.

The Tricolores finished 2024 with back-to-back wins to move into the top half in their first season back in the Dutch top flight on 24 points from 17 outings, but they have failed to carry that form into the new year.

Indeed, in seven outings in 2025, Peter Maes's side have added just two more points to their tally, the second of which came away at defending champions PSV Eindhoven in early February thanks to Mickael Tirpan's 83rd-minute leveller.

They have since suffered back-to-back defeats again, though, going on to lose 3-1 at home to Groningen before they visited relegation-threatened Sparta Rotterdam last Sunday and took a 4-0 beating as Tobias Lauritsen netted a brace for the hosts alongside goals from Mitchell van Bergen and Kristian Hlynsson.

Now sitting just one place and one point above Sparta Rotterdam in the Eredivisie's relegation playoff place, Willem II will be desperate to end their slump on Sunday and begin climbing back away from the bottom three with a return to winning ways.

That will be no easy task, though, as the visitors arrive in search of back-to-back league wins to strengthen their standing in the Dutch top flight's top three.

Following three consecutive seventh-placed finishes, FC Utrecht have enjoyed a particularly impressive campaign thus far, currently sitting third after 24 games with 46 points on the board, just four fewer than they managed in the entirety of the 2023-24 term.

Ron Jans's side sat in the top three from late August, but they would drop to fifth spot following a five-match winless run early in the new year, albeit only losing one of those games against basement side Almere City.

Then following a 2-2 draw away at second-placed PSV Eindhoven, in which they were pegged back by a 92nd-minute leveller after goals from Mike van der Hoorn and Paxten Aaronson, the Domstedelingen were able to return to the top three and end their winless run at home to NAC Breda last Saturday, as Oscar Fraulo netted the only goal of the game on the hour mark.

Now sitting third again in the Eredivisie, two points above fourth-placed Feyenoord and six behind PSV Eindhoven, Utrecht will aim to make it back-to-back wins on Sunday to strengthen their claim for a Champions League qualifying spot this season.

Willem II Eredivisie form:

D

L

L

D

L

L

FC Utrecht Eredivisie form:

D

D

D

L

D

W

FC Utrecht form (all competitions):

D

D

L

L

D

W

Team News

Willem II are set to remain without defenders Amine Lachkar and Tommy St Jago and midfielder Dani Mathieu on Sunday due to ongoing injury issues.

Boris Lambert will return to contention, though, having missed their 4-0 defeat to Sparta Rotterdam through suspension last time out, and he could rejoin Jesse Bosch in the engine room at the weekend.

Westerlo loanee Kyan Vaesen will continue to lead the line, having netted a team-high tally of six goals so far this season, while Ringo Meerveld should continue in the centre of a supporting trio.

FC Utrecht could be unchanged from last week's victory, with Can Bozdogan, Miguel Rodriguez, Rickson Van Hees, Yoann Cathline and Niklas Vesterlund set to remain confined to the treatment room.

Despite competition from Noah Ohio, David Min should continue alongside Borussia Dortmund loanee Sebastian Haller up front, with support from Jens Toornstra, Saturday's scorer Oscar Fraulo and top scorer Paxten Aaronson, who has netted six Eredivisie goals so far this season.

Behind them, former Manchester United man Zidane Iqbal will again line up at the base of the midfield, while Mike van der Hoorn and Nick Viergever are bound to continue their partnership at the heart of a back four.

Willem II possible starting lineup:

Didillon-Hodl; Tirpan, Schouten, Behounek, Sigurgeirsson; Bosch, Lambert; Sandra, Meerveld, Fatah; Vaesen

FC Utrecht possible starting lineup:

Barkas; Horemans, Van Der Hoorn, Viergever, El Karouani; Iqbal; Toornstra, Fraulo, Aaronson; Min, Haller

We say: Willem II 0-2 FC Utrecht

Written by

Sam Varley

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