- Head-to-head: The last five H2H meetings in all competitions have been evenly split (W2, D1, L2).
- Heerenveen form: Heerenveen have a 3 win, 1 draw, 1 loss record from their last five matches across all current competitions.
- NEC form: NEC Nijmegen have won one and drawn four of their last five games across all competitions.
Even sides, even odds
Heerenveen and NEC Nijmegen will meet on Saturday, and we are going for a home win for the hosts at a slight favorite (1.88) given the form of both sides. SC Heerenveen are 7th in the Eredivisie 2026/2027 table after picking up 15 points from their first ten games, a respectable total which will act as a decent platform for any mid-table surge in the second half of the campaign.
Form and recent results
- They are in good form, with a recent record of W3, D1, L1 across all games, including a 1-1 home draw with PFC Levski Sofia in the UEFA Europa League last Thursday, a 2-2 draw at home to Fortuna Sittard in the Eredivisie and a 4-2 away win at GNK Dinamo Zagreb in the UEFA Europa League.
Coaching and style
Robin Veldman, who was appointed as head coach on 21 March 2025, has really instilled an identity upon this Heerenveen squad, with a possession-first setup that allows them to build patiently from the back, while their full-backs are always looking to support the attack. This has given the club a much sharper edge in the final third, with Jacob Trenskow top scoring the Eredivisie with three goals in seven games.
NEC’s tempo is high, but they will face a tricky test
NEC sit 13th in the Eredivisie 2026/2027 standings with ten points from nine games, so they still need a spark of form to move up the table. Dick Schreuder, who was brought in as head coach on 1 July 2025, has certainly brought tempo to the side with his pressing and overloads, but they have been on the back foot too often this term, which is simply not good enough.
Form
- The form of NEC, with a run of W1, D4 from their last five games, indicates that they are a stubborn side rather than a dominant one.
- They have been in better shape of late, with a 4-2 away win at GNK Dinamo Zagreb, a 2-2 home draw with Fortuna Sittard, and a 1-1 home draw against PFC Levski Sofia.
Goals will be scored in this chess match
The away form of NEC has been good in the Eredivisie 2026/2027 (W2, D1, L1) and they've scored 2.00 goals per game while conceding 1.50. The Heerenveen home record in the Eredivisie 2026/2027 has been solid (W2, D1, L2) and they've averaged 1.40 goals for and 1.00 goals against.
NEC don't tend to change their 3-at-the-back system, so the transitions could be where this game is won and lost. NEC's Tjaronn Chery is the main goal threat with three in six Eredivisie games, while he has scored three of his goals in the last five.
The draw at 4.1 is tempting, but we're going for the value of Heerenveen given their form and home advantage. However, the odds still point towards a close game, so we're taking over 2.5 goals at 1.42 and Both Teams To Score at 1.4.
