Sparta vs Nijmegen – News and Probable Lineups

Sparta Rotterdam and NEC will conclude round 23 of the 2025–26 Eredivisie season with a clash at Sparta Stadion Het Kasteel on Sunday evening.

Both sides recently saw their respective winning streaks end and are now eager to regain momentum with a victory to support their aspirations for European football.

Match overview

Sparta was riding high with five consecutive league victories since December 21, but they had to settle for a draw during their trip to Fortuna Sittard last Saturday, as a late equalizer from Casper Terho resulted in a 2-2 finish.

A win would have allowed Maurice Steijn’s squad to draw level on points with fourth-placed Ajax in the Eredivisie standings, before the De Godenzonen’s crucial match against AZ Alkmaar this weekend.

Despite this, Sparta’s current total of 36 points from 22 games is their best performance at this point in the season, positioning them for a potential return to European competition for the first time since 1985.

De Kasteelheren will face both NEC and AZ, two teams also striving for European qualification, in the coming nine days, and they’re likely feeling optimistic after securing the most points (13) among all teams in their last five matches, tied with PSV Eindhoven.

However, they suffered a 3-1 defeat in their previous encounter with NEC back in November, meaning they have managed only one victory against this opponent in their last five meetings.

Interestingly, both teams have managed to score first in six of their last eight matches, which indicates that a fast-paced start could set the tone for an exciting match.

NEC has emerged as one of the standout surprises of the 2025-26 season, currently occupying third place and on track for their highest league finish, which could see them in contention for Champions League qualification.

In a surprising turn, they faced a 3-1 loss against FC Utrecht on Wednesday, with early goals from Angel Alarcon Galiot and Yoann Cathline sandwiching a strike from Gjivai Zechiel, handing Dick Schreuder’s team a tough defeat.

This loss ended the Eniesee’s remarkable 13-game unbeaten streak in all competitions, stemming from a 1-0 defeat to their current opponents back in early November.

Consecutive defeats have been uncommon for NEC this season, and the Nijmegen outfit hopes to maintain that trend as they aim to rise to second place or risk slipping to fourth on the weekend.

With 27 goals scored in 11 away matches, Sunday’s visitors have found it relatively easy to find the net, though they have only secured five wins due to a defence that has conceded 21 goals.

Team News

Vito van Crooij, who is on loan from NEC, will be unable to face his parent club due to his unavailability from an injury.

With his goal against Fortuna, Tobias Lauritsen has reached 10 league goals, marking his four consecutive seasons in double figures.

Freek Entius, a 19-year-old, is still sidelined because of a long-standing knee injury and is unlikely to be back this season.

Sami Ouaissa is the only confirmed absentee for NEC this Sunday, as the midfielder is suspended for a match due to accumulated yellow cards.

After a challenging debut season in which he netted just four goals, Bryan Linssen has already provided six goals and seven assists this season, marking him as a key player to keep an eye on.

Sparta Rotterdam probable starting XI:

drum; Quintero, Martins Indi, Young, Martes; Kitolano, Clement; Mito, Santos, Van Bergen; Lauritsen

NEC probable starting XI:

Crettaz; Dasa, Kaplan, Sandler; Onal, Sano, Nejasmic, Pereira; Lebreton, Chery, Linssen

With 22 league matches, NEC has amassed a total of 95 goals, the highest in the Eredivisie, indicating a likelihood of a high-scoring match in Rotterdam.

Given both teams are in commendable form, we anticipate that they will likely end the match shared points at the final whistle.