Go Ahead Eagles vs Heerenveen – News and Probable Lineups

Still searching for their first victory in 90 minutes since November, Go Ahead Eagles are set to host Heerenveen at De Adelaarshorst for a rescheduled round 20 Eredivisie encounter, keen to break their long winless streak.

As they face opponents who recently endured back-to-back heavy losses, including a 5-0 defeat at FC Twente, the 14th-placed Kowet will be looking to capitalize on their visitors’ ongoing defensive struggles to distance themselves from the relegation zone.

Match overview

After Go Ahead Eagles achieved a 2-1 victory against Feyenoord in round 12 last November, the Deventer outfit found themselves in ninth place in the Eredivisie, just outside the European playoff spots.

Fast forward nine matches, and Melvin Boel’s squad has yet to secure a league win since then, dropping to 14th in the rankings as Kowet — currently at 23 points — are anxiously glancing towards the relegation playoff zone, where Telstar sits with 17 points.

Finding the net has not been an issue for last season’s KNVB Beker champions, as they have scored in eight out of their nine winless league games; however, they have failed to maintain a clean sheet in the Eredivisie during this stretch, last keeping their opponents at bay in a 2-0 victory over SBV Excelsior in late October.

Kowet approaches this rescheduled fixture after being held to five consecutive draws against Groningen, Fortuna Sittard, Ajax, FC Volendam, and Telstar. Boel, after witnessing his team exit Europe and being ousted from their cup title defense, hopes to claim maximum points in a league match for the first time since November.

A win on Wednesday would provide some breathing room from the bottom of the table, potentially giving them an eight-point cushion, whereas a loss could firmly place them in the relegation conversation following a five-year tenure in the top flight.

Go Ahead Eagles prepare for the midweek encounter with a relatively favorable recent record against Heerenveen, having won three of their last five Eredivisie clashes, including the corresponding match last season.

This encouraging run of results, along with Heerenveen’s recent defensive lapses against PSV Eindhoven in the KNVB Beker and the embarrassing defeat at Twente last weekend, should instill confidence among the Deventer fans prior to the midweek fixture.

Robin Veldman leads his squad into a third away match in a week, seeking to avoid another heavy defeat after falling 4-1 in Eindhoven, which led to their cup exit in the quarterfinals, and facing a 5-0 loss at Enschede, a place where they have not won in six years.

A particularly concerning statistic from both matches was the surrendering of 49 shots — with 20 against PSV and 29 during the loss to Twente — indicating a level of passivity that the Super Frisians must rectify for the Wednesday encounter.

Additional disappointment means Veldman’s side has now gone four matches without a win in all competitions, recording three losses, marking an unexpected decline in both performances and results.

Heerenveen concluded 2025 by winning three successive matches — triumphing over Sparta Rotterdam, Feyenoord in the KNVB Beker, and Heracles — before extending their unbeaten streak with a draw against Feyenoord (2-2) in the league and a cup victory over Waalwijk, but they have not managed a win since then.

Having netted three goals in each of those victories, Heerenveen has only scored two goals throughout their current winless streak of four matches, necessitating a correction on Wednesday to prevent being surpassed by their hosts, who are two points beneath them in the standings.

Team News

With no significant injury concerns for Go Ahead Eagles following their match against Telstar, Boel’s anticipated absentees are Robbin Weijenberg (knee), Gerrit Nauber (leg), and Pim Saathof (knee).

Despite eight-goal forward Mathis Suray not finding the net since his mid-January cup triumph over Heracles, remaining scoreless in five consecutive games, the wide attacker is eager to prove crucial and add to his eight Eredivisie goals.

With Milan Smit’s loan move to Stoke City, that leaves five-goal midfielder Melle Meulensteen and two-goal forward Victor Edvardsen as potential match-winners, while Jakob Breum has contributed creatively, providing three assists this season.

On the visitors’ side, six-goal forward Dylan Vente was absent during Heerenveen’s 5-0 loss at Twente after suffering a suspected calf injury during the cup elimination against PSV, and De Superfriezen may need to contend without their second-highest scorer on Wednesday.

Other than that, having come through their latest league defeat without any apparent issues, Levi Smans (knee) is Veldman’s main absence for Wednesday.

With Vente’s participation in doubt, the attacking responsibility lies with Jacob Trenskow — who has registered seven goals and two assists — and captain Luuk Brouwers — boasting three goals and four assists — to make an impact in Deventer.

Go Ahead Eagles probable starting XI:

De Busser; Van Zwam, Dirksen, Kramer, Adelgaard; Meulensteen, Linthorst; Slory, Breum, Suray; Edvardsen

Heerenveen probable starting XI:

Clover Jack; Braude, Kersten, Willemsen, Zagaritis; Linday, Van Overeem; Trenskow, Brouwers, Meerveld; Nordas

Recently, Go Ahead Eagles have emerged as the Eredivisie’s draw specialists, conceding late equalizers in their recent draws with Volendam and Telstar. Their struggles to keep a clean sheet suggest another draw may be on the cards.

A tie is expected on Wednesday, with both teams struggling to find the crucial winner.

While this outcome may not be ideal for either side, it would at least spare Heerenveen from suffering a third successive away defeat in this rescheduled match.