Nijmegen vs Groningen – News and Probable Lineups

NEC Nijmegen will take on FC Groningen during matchday 10 of the Eredivisie at the Goffertstadion this Sunday.

After breaking an eight-match winless streak with a 4-2 victory away at Dinamo Zagreb in the Europa League, Dick Schreuder’s side comes into this match full of confidence, while Dick Lukkien’s Groningen aims to recover from a 5-2 loss at home to Ajax.

Match overview

Currently, NEC stands in 12th position in the Eredivisie table with 10 points from nine games, a modest tally achieved through two wins, four draws, and three defeats.

In domestic competitions, NEC has struggled with a series of draws, including 1-1 stalemates with Go Ahead Eagles and Ajax surrounding a 2-2 draw against Fortuna Sittard, where a stoppage-time equalizer from Tjaronn Chery salvaged a point after being two goals down.

The atmosphere changed on Thursday as NEC secured their first European win since the 2008-09 UEFA Cup, triumphing over Dinamo Zagreb 4-2 at Maksimir Stadium with Chery netting twice alongside goals from Bryan Linssen and Clement Bischoff.

This success builds upon Schreuder’s accomplishment in leading NEC to a historic third-place finish last season, earning them 59 points and European football for the first time in 17 years.

Chery currently leads the team in scoring with four goals in nine Eredivisie appearances, although three of them have come from penalties. Linssen, last season’s top scorer with 11 goals, has found the net only once in the league so far.

Forward Kaj Sierhuis, who was signed on a free transfer from Fortuna Sittard in the summer, has expressed frustration at being omitted from recent matchday squads, warming up against Lexi Sofia but not being called upon to play.

Groningen is currently in seventh place with 14 points from nine fixtures, boasting the fourth-highest scoreline in the league with 22 goals.

Lukkien’s team has experienced fluctuations in recent form, with a 5-1 away victory at Excelsior followed by a 5-2 defeat at home to Ajax, failing to keep a clean sheet in their last six matches.

Both Van Bergen and Brynjolfur Willumsson are tied for the joint-most goals in the Eredivisie this season with six each, providing Groningen with two significant attacking threats for their trip to Nijmegen.

David van der Werff leads the team in assists with three and has created the most significant opportunities, totaling five big chances.

In their last five league games alone, Groningen has scored 13 goals, highlighting why their attack remains one of the most entertaining in the division, despite concerns in defense.

Team News

Schreuder continues to be without center-back Bram Nuytinck as he recovers from ankle surgery, as well as Philippe Sandler, who is dealing with a separate injury.

Emre Mor faced a setback in his recovery from a groin injury ahead of the trip to Zagreb, but Schreuder mentioned on Wednesday that he anticipates that the winger will be available for this weekend’s match.

Dusan Tadic, who suffered a calf injury during the fixture against Lexi Sofia and missed both the draw with Fortuna Sittard and the win over Zagreb, has also been ruled out for the match against Groningen, with Schreuder aiming for his return in next weekend’s clash against Heerenveen.

Winger Ayodele Thomas remains unavailable for selection due to disciplinary issues stemming from an incident during a pre-season training camp in Spain, missing four consecutive squads, which complicates NEC’s selection process, as they have conceded in each of their last 15 matches.

Center-back Ahmetcan Kaplan, who has spent the majority of October regaining fitness from an injury, played the full match in Zagreb and should be available once more.

For Groningen, Lukkien confirmed on Friday that Tyrique Mercera and Elvis van der Laan will miss the journey to Nijmegen, while defenders Rijk Janse and Malcolm Jeng, who is dealing with an Achilles issue, are already long-term absentees.

Overall, Lukkien is likely to maintain the same starting lineup that began the 5-2 defeat to Ajax, with Hans Hateboer set to continue at left-back and Jacob Ondrejka favored on the left side of the attacking trio.

NEC probable starting XI:

Crettaz; Fonville, Schuurs, Kaplan; Storm, Bischoff, Nejasmic, Geiger; Lebreton, Chery; Linssen

Groningen probable starting XI:

Vaessen; Schreuders, Blokzijl, Rente, Hateboer; De Jonge, Clement; Van der Werff, Van Bergen, Ondrejka; Willumsson

In their last 10 clashes, NEC has claimed six victories and suffered three losses against Groningen, with the previous encounter at Euroborg in May concluding with a 2-1 win for Groningen.

The momentum from Thursday’s triumph in Zagreb, combined with the advantage of playing at home and Chery’s current form in front of goal, hints that NEC may have a slight edge.

Meanwhile, Groningen arrives with something to prove after conceding five goals at home to Ajax, and Lukkien’s attacking setup is expected to present challenges once more; however, NEC’s newly restored confidence might just give them the upper hand against a Groningen team still in search of defensive consistency this season.