- FC Groningen form: FC Groningen have won 2, drawn 2 and lost 1 of their last 5 Eredivisie 2026/2027 matches.
- Sparta Rotterdam form: Sparta Rotterdam have won 1, drawn 1 and lost 3 of their last 5 Eredivisie 2026/2027 contests.
- Head-to-head: The last 3 meetings between the sides have all gone the way of Sparta, who beat Groningen 2-0 at home in Eredivisie 2025/2026, eight months ago.
Sparta will have some bite
Groningen are slight favorites for Sunday's matchup with Sparta Rotterdam at Euroborg, which looks like being a pretty even matchup with both sides capable of scoring. Sparta are available at 4.3 with the draw coming in at 4.2, but we'll stick with the hosts at 1.67 because of the home edge.
The visitors can be dangerous in their own way, however, and Sparta's last 3 results illustrate how they have been performing this season. They held Go Ahead Eagles to a 3-3 away draw before they beat Willem II 3-2 at home and then lost to Ajax, 1-2, today.
They travel to Groningen with 10 goals conceded in four away matches, which they have won once, drawn once and lost twice.
Sparta’s best on the break
Manager and style
Rogier Meijer took over Sparta in July 2026 and his early influence has been to make his side more of an attacking threat. There has been some improvement in how Sparta Rotterdam play in the build-up, but the back line still looks a little shaky, which will be tested by Groningen's settled build-up and full-back support.
Key players
- Sparta are best when they can play on the counterattack and their best player so far, in terms of goal threat, is Milan Zonneveld, who has four goals in seven Eredivisie 2026/2027 games and three in the last five.
- Likewise, the best finisher for FC Groningen, Brynjolfur Andersen Willumsson, has also scored four goals in his last seven Eredivisie 2026/2027 appearances, so both players will be a threat to opposing defences on Sunday.
No home fortress for the Superfries
Groningen come into this matchup off a 2-2 away draw at NEC Nijmegen after a 2-5 home defeat to Ajax a week ago. Groningen are eighth in the Eredivisie 2026/2027 table with 15 points from 10 games while Sparta are 14th, one place lower on nine points from 10.
The hosts are a little more structured than Sparta, but Dick Lukkien's 4-2-3-1 system, which he has put in place since taking over in July 2023, is designed to give his midfielders freedom to play while the side remains rigid.
Sparta's similar system means the matchup will hinge on which side can get their #10 into the game and how well each team's wingers work. We are going for a home win because Groningen are a settled side, which averages 2.20 goals per home game in the Eredivisie 2026/2027.
But Sparta will come on strong and the home side has only won two, drawn one and lost two of their home games, so the Euroborg hasn't been much of a fortress for Groningen. Trots van het Noorden. Over 2.5 goals at 1.42 looks a decent bet here because of the open look of the game, while both teams to score at 1.45 is also a play, given both teams will come at each other in an end-to-end affair.
