- Willem II standing: Willem II Tilburg are 18th in Eredivisie 2026/2027 with 2 points from 10 matches.
- PEC Zwolle standing: PEC Zwolle are 15th in the table with 8 points from 10.
- Recent head-to-head: Willem II are winless in their last 2 home games against FC Zwolle.
A tale of two underachievers
Willem II and FC Zwolle play at the Koning Willem II Stadion in the Netherlands on Friday. The Tricolores are 18th with 2 points from 10 games while the Blauwvingers are 15th with 8.
Both teams will be desperate for the 3 points as they look to create a bit of breathing room at the bottom of the table. Willem II have been woeful recently with 1 win and 4 defeats from their last 5 matches.
They lost their most recent fixture 3-2 at Sparta Rotterdam, were hammered 1-6 at home by Cambuur Leeuwarden two weeks ago and come into this game on the back of a cup win at Helmond Sport.
PEC Zwolle, meanwhile, have been in decent form of late, although they've been a bit inconsistent. The Blauwvingers are 1-1-3 in their last 5 games, but the only win came at home to Go Ahead Eagles (4-1), a game which was preceded by a 1-1 draw at FC Utrecht. They also lost a cup game to FC Oss / Top Oss in that run.
Back the Blues to make the most of their chances
Head-to-head and odds
The head-to-head record between these two teams in the last three meetings is Willem II 1, FC Zwolle 2, with FC Zwolle winning 2-1 away from home in Eredivisie 2024/2025. Zwolle will be hoping to make it 3 wins on the bounce against their hosts on Friday, but the visitors' confidence remains intact. The odds are certainly with PEC Zwolle to win at 2.15, but Willem II are a decent 2.88 and the tie sits at 3.9.
Tactical battle
The pressure of being near the bottom of the Eredivisie 2026/2027 table could well play a role here and the hosts will be more desperate for the win, so a nervy game is more likely than a free-flowing one. This is a press vs block game, with the visitors keen to press high and force turnovers, and the Tricolores keen to stay compact, remain disciplined and avoid mistakes. John Stegeman's 4-4-2 is pragmatic and the team can be pretty stingy at times, but they'll need their main goal threat Devin Haen to get some balls to score a goal if they are to snatch a win.
Open spells will be a must
Backing the visitors to win is tempting, but the hosts are the worst team in the division, so a wiser bet in the match result market may be the draw here. However, we're going to take an alternative angle on this game with a bet on both teams to score – Yes at 1.42.
This will be a scrappy game, but if the counter-press works early on for Zwolle, they will get forward in numbers and create openings.
- While Willem II have just 1 draw and 4 defeats from 5 home games in the Eredivisie 2026/2027, they average 0.80 goals per game themselves, having scored just 4 in those 5, and concede an average of 3.20 goals.
- PEC Zwolle are on a run of 1 win, 2 draws and 2 losses from 5 on the road in the Eredivisie 2026/2027, scoring an average of 1.20 and conceding 1.80.
- Koen Kostons is the top scorer for the team with 3 goals from 7 appearances in Eredivisie 2026/2027, while Thijs Oosting has scored 2 of Zwolle's last 5 and looks a threat in the final third.
