Sparta vs PEC Zwolle – News and Probable Lineups

Sparta Rotterdam will be eager to turn around a disappointing streak of results as they prepare to face PEC Zwolle at Sparta Stadion this Sunday, in a fixture of Eredivisie gameweek 26.

The home team has gone four Eredivisie matches without a win, putting pressure on Maurice Steijn to find a solution, while Zwolle seeks to secure their first league victory in five attempts as they aim to distance themselves from the relegation places.

Match overview

Sparta Rotterdam’s recent form remained poor in their last outing, where they went down 2-1 against Heerenveen away, marking their fourth consecutive match without a victory (D2, L2).

The Castle Lords performed decently in that match, holding possession well and achieving three shots on target; however, they were ultimately hindered by a lack of accuracy.

These ongoing struggles have seen them drop from fifth in the standings, pushing them further from guaranteed European football for next season.

As they look towards this match, Maurice Steijn and his squad will focus on enhancing their finishing quality in the attacking area, aiming for their first league win since a 2-0 success against Groningen at the end of January.

Defensively, the hosts also need to tighten up, having not recorded a clean sheet in their last four league matches, conceding two or more goals in three of those fixtures.

Despite their recent struggles, the Red-White Gladiators are expected to find some success on Sunday, although playing at home has presented challenges, with four defeats at home – the poorest record among the top seven teams.

On the other hand, PEC Zwolle may feel optimistic about their chances of getting a positive result away at Sparta, but their away form offers little encouragement.

Henry van der Vegt’s team has managed a solitary victory in 13 league matches on the road, accompanied by five losses and seven draws.

The visitors have not tasted success away from home since their 2-0 win over Telstar in their second match of the season.

Although they have been relatively effective in attack with 34 goals scored in 25 matches, their defence has been leaky, conceding 50 goals – the second-worst record in the league.

For a chance at a favorable outcome, improvements in defence are essential, and achieving their first clean sheet since mid-August may be vital for success on Sunday. However, they will draw some confidence from back-to-back draws against Utrecht (1-1) and Ajax (0-0).

Team News

Regarding injuries, the home side has almost a fully fit squad, with Vito van Crooij and Marvin Young unavailable.

Van Crooij has not played since a 2-1 defeat to FC Volendam in mid-January, still recovering from a knee injury sustained at that time.

Young, meanwhile, is suspended following the accumulation of yellow cards and will miss Sunday’s match.

Conversely, the visitors are dealing with several injuries ahead of this fixture, presenting a selection conundrum for their manager.

Samir Lagsir is sidelined due to a muscle issue, while Jamiro Monteiro is recuperating from a similar ailment.

Additionally, Jasper Schendelaar (thigh), Damian van der Haar (ankle), and David Voute (knee) are also expected to miss this match due to injuries.

Sparta Rotterdam probable starting XI:

Drommel; Martins Indi, Sambo, Quintro; De Ligt; Clement, Santos, Kitolano; Van Bergen, Lauritsen, Mito

PEC Zwolle probable starting XI:

DeGraaff; Floranus, Garcia McNulty, Velthuis, Gooijer; Neighbor, Thomas, Oosting; Shoretire, Konstons, Namli

Both teams have struggled in recent weeks, resulting in a lack of confidence, yet with the advantage of home ground and the poor record of the visitors, Sparta may just come out on top in this match, with a predicted scoreline of 2-1.