Nijmegen vs Omonia – News and Probable Lineups

On Thursday, NEC Nijmegen will take on Omonia at Goffertstadion in the fourth matchday of the Europa League, with the Dutch team eager to surpass the 11th-placed visitors.

While Dick Schreuder’s squad has faced challenges in their domestic league due to their European commitments, they are coming into this fixture excited after a 4-2 victory over Dinamo Zagreb in their third match, aiming to achieve back-to-back wins on the continental stage at the cost of the Cypriot champions.

Match overview

Considering the overall circumstances, NEC’s performance this season has been quite disappointing, especially since Schreuder’s team finished in third place in the Eredivisie last term.

That achievement put the Nijmegen side on the verge of their debut in the Champions League, and although defeat to Bodo/Glimt kept them out of Europe’s elite competition, they certainly earned their place in the Europa League.

Nonetheless, the second-tier European tournament has presented a mix of results for the Eredivisie side: they have one loss, one draw, and one win, with the comeback victory against Dinamo providing crucial morale.

This win in Zagreb marked NEC’s first success in any competition since their 3-1 victory against PEC Zwolle in late August, underscoring their ongoing difficulties in both domestic and European matches.

Currently, Schreuder’s team is in 13th position in the Dutch top tier, just two points above the relegation playoff position, and stands 20th in the 36-team Europa League standings, although a win on Thursday could see them rise in the rankings.

Thus, it will be interesting to observe the tactics employed by their Cypriot rivals on matchday four against a side that often plays a high-risk style.

Henning Berg’s team comes into this match having just ended a three-match winless streak, which included two losses to Benfica in Europe and a defeat against AEK Larnaca in their previous fixtures in October.

The Queen’s first win in four matches came alongside their first clean sheet since mid-October’s 3-0 win over Celje, signifying the Shamrock’s fourth shutout in five outings across competitions.

Following that stretch, they conceded eight goals over three matches, giving NEC hope that their Cypriot opponents could be vulnerable at multiple points in the game.

Nevertheless, Omonia visits Nijmegen with the awareness of their promising position in Europe as the group stage nears its halfway mark; another win could propel the 11th-placed Shamrock into the top eight, with the three teams from sixth to eighth sitting just one point ahead of Berg’s squad.

Team News

NEC will miss Dusan Tadic due to a calf injury, as he has been absent since mid-October, while Philippe Sandler, Bram Nuytinck, Emre Mor, and Dennis Geiger are also unavailable.

Tjaronn Chery has been the standout player for Nijmegen in Europe, netting three of their five goals, sharing the lead in the competition’s scoring charts with six other players.

In contrast to their Dutch counterparts, Omonia has been able to distribute their goals more evenly, with contributions from Jaden Montnor, Senou Coulibaly, Jure Balkovec, Muamer Tankovic, and Andronikos Kakoullis.

While the visitors possess a relatively fit squad, Berg will have to cope without Loic Nego (muscle) and Carel Eiting (knee).

NEC probable starting XI:

Crettaz; Schuurs, Kaplan, Fonville; Cherry, Nejasmic, Monteiro, Bischoff; Chery, Lebreton; Linssen

Omonia probable starting XI:

Fabiano; Duverne, Coulibaly, Satka, Balkovec; Costa Ewandro, Andreou, Maric, Montnor; Kakoullis, Tanase

While one strong performance in Europe cannot hide NEC’s continued struggles, it is particularly concerning given the absence of several experienced players and their ongoing disappointing results in the league.

Omonia’s return to winning form with a clean sheet should boost their confidence, yet the impact of Chery could ensure the Dutch side at least secures a point from the encounter.