Groningen vs Nijmegen – News and Probable Lineups

Two teams in need of a victory face off in the second-to-last round of the Eredivisie as Groningen hosts NEC at Euroborg Stadium this Sunday.

The Trots van het Noorden will aim to move up into the upper half of the table, while their opponents are embroiled in a tight competition for the Champions League playoff spot and need to avoid any missteps in their remaining two fixtures.

Match overview

What appeared to be a promising phase for Groningen towards the end of the season has begun to falter, as they experienced a second consecutive loss last Saturday, succumbing 3-2 to Excelsior at Euroborg Stadium.

Tika de Jonge and Younes Taha found the net around Casper Widell’s equalizer in the 40th minute, allowing Groningen to lead as they entered the last 30 minutes. However, Derensili Sanches Fernandes equalized for Excelsior, and Gyan de Regt completed the turnaround with a well-constructed team goal in the 90th minute.

After a solid stretch where they went unbeaten in four matches from March 7 to April 4, collecting 10 points from a possible 12, Dick Lukkien’s squad has now gone three games without a win, including a goalless draw with Go Ahead Eagles on April 11, followed by two losses against Feyenoord and Excelsior.

Despite this recent decline in form, Groningen remains firmly in contention for a spot in the Conference League playoffs, as they currently sit 10th in the Eredivisie standings with 42 points from 32 matches, just one point behind ninth-placed Sparta Rotterdam.

Looking ahead, they will face a challenging opponent, with NEC having gone unbeaten in eight of their past ten encounters, accumulating six victories and two draws since September 2020.

NEC Nijmegen has faced a tough few weeks, suffering a major setback in their quest for the automatic Champions League spot last Saturday when they managed only a 1-1 draw against Telstar at home.

The Nijmegen squad will lament their missed chances against Telstar, as Sem van Duijn capitalized on a close-range opportunity in the 32nd minute to give Telstar the lead, before Tjaronn Chery drew the hosts level with a goal in the 85th minute.

Despite being unbeaten in their last seven Eredivisie matches, They have drawn two points in four of their last five contests, enduring consecutive stalemates against Heerenveen, Feyenoord, Twente, and recently Telstar, which has significantly reduced their hopes of finishing in the top two.

Following an impressive eighth-place finish last season, they have had a successful campaign under head coach Dick Schreuder, who is guiding the Gelderland side toward a potential first-ever Champions League qualification in his inaugural season.

NEC has achieved 15 wins and 11 draws in their 32 matches, currently placing them third in the Eredivisie table, five points shy of second-place Feyenoord in the automatic Champions League slots and one point ahead of fourth-place Ajax in the Europa League qualifying position.

Schreuder also led NEC to the KNVB Beker final — their first domestic cup final since the 2023-2024 season — where they were defeated by AZ Alkmaar, suffering a heavy 5-1 loss at Stadion Feijenoord on April 19.

Team News

Groningen continues to be without Dutch midfielder Stije Resnik, who has missed the last seven matches due to a knee injury suffered against Volendam on March 1.

He is joined on Trots van het Noorden’s injury list by Polish forward Oskar Zawada, who has been sidelined since injuring his arm against Ajax in March.

Veteran goalkeeper Hidde Jurjus was left out of the squad against Excelsior last time out, casting doubt on his availability for this weekend’s match.

As for Nijmegen, Basra Onal is expected to miss his third consecutive game since sustaining an injury against AZ Alkmaar on April 19, while young goalkeeper Freek Entius remains unavailable due to a knee injury.

With 11 goals and seven assists this season, Bryan Linssen has been a key player for the Gelderland outfit, and after a quieter game against Telstar, the 35-year-old will aim to make a significant impact once again.

Groningen probable starting XI:

Vaessen; Rente, Blokzijl, Janse, Peersman; The Young, Country; Taha, Van der Werff, Schreuders; Van Bergen

NEC probable starting XI:

Crettaz; Fonville, Nuytinck, Dasa; Lebreton, Nejasmic, Sandler, Ouaissa; Linssen, Sano, Chery

A pair of consecutive defeats has landed Groningen back in the mid-table, and while they will strive to regain their footing on Sunday, they face another demanding 90 minutes against a Nijmegen side locked in a fierce competition with Ajax and Twente for the Champions League playoff spot.

Schreuder’s team has been solid away from home, holding the second-best point tally this season, and having claimed four wins in their last five encounters with Groningen, we anticipate they will secure a narrow victory this weekend.