Volendam vs Sittard – News and Probable Lineups

FC Volendam aims to achieve a third consecutive home victory as they face Fortuna Sittard at the Kras Stadion in round 27 of the Eredivisie on Saturday.

After winning the last three encounters against Volendam, Fortuna will be eager to extend their three-year dominance over the home side and close the gap to two points from the desired top eight.

Match overview

The struggles for Volendam on the road were underscored once again last Sunday as they faced a disappointing 3-0 loss against NEC Nijmegen at the Stadion de Goffert.

Noe Lebreton opened the scoring and assisted Basar Onal’s goal just after halftime, showcasing an impressive performance in front of home supporters, before Sami Ouaissa capped off the match with a well-executed team goal in the 63rd minute.

With that defeat, Volendam has managed to win only one of their last ten Eredivisie away matches since the beginning of September, earning the second-lowest away points total, with just five points from 13 games — only Heracles (4) have fewer.

Now returning home, Rick Kruys will be optimistic about a response from his team this weekend, as they have remained unbeaten in five of their last six matches at the Kras Stadion, recording one draw and four victories, which most recently includes wins against PSV Eindhoven and Groningen.

Volendam’s hopes for survival have significantly relied on their home form, as they currently sit 14th in the Eredivisie table with 27 points from 26 matches, just three points clear of 16th-placed Telstar who occupy the relegation playoff position.

In contrast, Fortuna Sittard was brought back to reality in their attempt to secure a European qualifying playoff spot last Sunday, suffering a heavy 4-1 loss to Telstar at the Fortuna Sittard Stadion.

Goals from Patrick Brouwer and Nokkvi Porisson within the first ten minutes set Telstar on their way to back-to-back wins for the first time this season. Although Kaj Sierhuis pulled one back for the hosts in the 22nd minute, Brouwer’s second of the match in the 50th minute followed by Danny Bakker’s strike in the 65th minute ensured the visitors claimed all three points.

Before this defeat, Fortuna Sittard had secured two consecutive victories for the first time this season, ending a three-match winless streak with a 2-1 win at home against Excelsior on February 20, prior to a 3-2 success against Nijmegen at the Stadion de Goffert.

Having narrowly missed the top-nine last season by just two points, Danny Buijs’s side has been inconsistent this term, with 12 losses and nine draws, currently occupying 11th position in the league table with 32 points from 26 matches, trailing eighth-placed Heerenveen by five points for the last playoff spot.

Fortuna Sittard will be hopeful of returning to winning form this weekend when they face a team that has lost each of their last three encounters, conceding five goals and scoring merely once since their 2-1 win in March 2023.

Team News

Volendam will enter the pitch missing several key players, with the Dutch trio of Gibson Yah (knee), Henk Veerman (ankle), and Nordin Bukala (muscle) all sidelined.

Both Benjamin Pauwels and 33-year-old midfielder Brandley Kuwas are also set to miss the fixture against Nijmegen due to muscle and arm injuries, respectively, and will not be available for this weekend’s match.

Additionally, Belgian forward Benjamin Descotte remains out with a serious hamstring injury he sustained against Nijmegen last December and will not participate in Saturday’s game.

Fortuna Sittard also faces injury challenges, with players like Ramazan Bayram (knee), Justin Lonwijk (muscle), and defender Daley Sinkgraven (knee) all unable to play.

Veteran goalkeeper Mattijs Branderhorst has been absent from the last five matches due to an injury he picked up back in February, meaning Luuk Koopmans is expected to start once again in goal.

FC Volendam probable starting XI:

Oevelen; Ugwu, Amevor, Verschuren, Leliendal; Van Cruijsen, Kokcu, Kwakman; Ould-Chikh, Bacuna, Oehlers

Fortuna Sittard probable starting XI:

Koopmans; Pinto, Marquez, Hubner, Dahlhaus; Brittijn, Michut; Ihattaren, Duijvestijn, Limnios; Ornamental house

Both Volendam and Fortuna Sittard have struggled for consistency since the start of the year and will be eager to bounce back after last weekend’s loss at the Kras Stadion. Buijs’s team has managed only two wins from their last 11 away matches in the league since mid-September and may find it difficult against a Volendam side that has shown resilience at home recently.