- SC Heerenveen have won two and drawn one of their last three Eredivisie home fixtures.
- NEC Nijmegen have won four, drawn one and lost nine away fixtures in the Eredivisie this season.
- Ion Nicolaescu has scored six Eredivisie goals in 21 appearances this season.
Heerenveen’s home form has been strong this season with eight wins, six draws and just one loss in the Eredivisie. The Abe Lenstra Stadion has been a fortress for the Frisians and Robin Veldman, the recently appointed head coach, has steadied the ship in his two home games in charge. A 2-1 win over Almere City FC and a 3-1 success against Willem II have shown the hosts’ attacking prowess and they have scored 27 times in the Eredivisie 2024/2025 season at an average of 1.80 goals per game. Osame Sahraoui is the most dynamic midfielder in their side and his five goals are a testament to his ability to create chances from midfield. Heerenveen’s preferred style is a possession-based game, where they like to control the ball and build up in a balanced 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3, but they have the technical ability to adapt to different systems if needed.
NEC Nijmegen will be hoping to extend their recent dominance in this fixture when they visit Heerenveen on Sunday. The Nijmegen club are currently 11th in the Eredivisie 2024/2025 table with 33 points from 29 matches, four fewer than Heerenveen in eighth. NEC Nijmegen have beaten Heerenveen twice, lost once and drawn once in the last four Eredivisie head-to-heads and beat the Frisians 3-0 at home six months ago. Rogier Meijer’s men snapped a two-game winless run by beating RKC Waalwijk 2-1 at home, but they have struggled on the road, losing 2-0 to Sparta Rotterdam in their last away fixture. Meijer is a pragmatic coach and likes his side to play a more reactive game, sitting back and countering when possible. They can change shape quickly and are especially adept at this away from home, where they can’t rely on the home crowd to drive them forward.
Vito van Crooij is NEC’s most reliable goal threat with nine league goals in 21 appearances this season. The 27-year-old has scored three of his team’s last eight goals and is their go-to player in the final third. Magnus Mattsson has also chipped in with goals and his creativity has added spark to NEC’s transitional play. Heerenveen are the slight favourites at 2.05, with NEC Nijmegen the underdogs at 3.70 and the draw priced at 3.73. These two sides are very evenly matched in terms of league position and recent form, each picking up two wins, one draw and two losses in their last five Eredivisie fixtures. Heerenveen’s home form and odds-on price make them the more attractive bet here, but NEC’s recent success in this fixture suggests it could go down to the wire. A both teams to score bet could be a more profitable alternative given the tight head-to-head history.
