Willem II vs Sittard – News and Probable Lineups

Willem II and Fortuna Sittard are positioned ten places apart in the Eredivisie standings as they prepare for their match on Saturday at Koning Willem II Stadion for the seventh week of fixtures.

The hosts, who have just been promoted, find themselves at the bottom of the table after six matches, while Fortuna Sittard, known for their attacking prowess, sit in seventh place and are looking to bounce back after suffering a 5-1 defeat to Ajax last week.

Match overview

John Stegeman likely anticipated that the top league would be a challenge, and it has proven to be so, with the Tricolores still searching for their first win following six matches.

In the standings, Willem II is in the second-to-last position, with only ADO Den Haag, last season’s second-tier champions, having a poorer record, as both teams remain winless after six matches.

Furthermore, Willem II is statistically tied for the worst defensive record, having conceded 19 goals across those six matches—equal to FC Utrecht—but they possess the worst goal difference (-13) heading into the seventh matchday.

Considering their vulnerable defence, which has allowed two or more goals in five out of six games this season, Stegeman’s side will face a tough task against a Fortuna team that has been in fine form scoring goals before their loss to Ajax last weekend.

If this weekend’s outcomes align with expectations, with ADO hosting fellow promoted team Cambuur, the home supporters could witness their team end up at the bottom of the table.

Fortuna will be aiming to make their mark early in the season by securing their fourth victory of the campaign.

Under the management of Danny Buijs, Fortuna has scored two or more goals in four of their six fixtures thus far, with their only losses occurring against the joint-leaders AZ Alkmaar and fourth-placed Ajax, providing important context for those defeats.

With a solid-to-good record against all other teams, including an encouraging opening game draw of 2-2 against PSV Eindhoven, the Sittard side will travel to Tilburg in search of another favorable outcome.

Considering their unbeaten run of four matches against Willem II—consisting of two wins and two draws—Buijs’s team will feel confident about extending that streak against a club they have not conceded to in their last three encounters.

Should Fortuna succeed, they could equal up to 13 points, matching Ajax and FC Twente while moving ahead of SBV Excelsior on 10 points, though this heavily relies on various results going their way.

Team News

For Willem II, Thomas Didillon-Hodl (hamstring), Vito van Crooij (ankle), Justin Hoogma (knee), Amine Lachkar (groin), Armin Culum (foot), and Thijs Muller (toe) are all sidelined due to injuries.

Devin Haen is the only player to have scored more than once for the Superkruiken this season, contributing three goals, which represents 50% of Tilburg’s total of six goals, and he will be keen to add to that tally on Saturday.

For Fortuna Sittard, Mohamed Ihattaren and Lequincio Zeefuik have both found the net three times, while Anthony Descotte has two goals, underscoring the attacking threats the visitors pose.

Ihattaren leads the assists chart for Fortuna with two assists after six matches, making him one of their key offensive players.

Injuries for Fortuna include Kristoffer Peterson, Ivan Marquez, Yassin Oukili (groin), Sven Simons (hamstring), and Siebe Wylin.

Willem II probable starting XI:

Delanghe; Ter Avest, Stam, Dekker, Tjoe-A-On; Twigt, Vilhena; Van Loon, Van Aalst, Slory; Haen

Fortuna Sittard probable starting XI:

Branderhorst; Pinto, Brittijn, Guth, Hubner, Dahlhaus; Ihattaren, Michut, Zand; Descotte, Zeefuik

Although Willem II is eager to respond in front of their home fans and move away from the relegation zone, their apparent defensive issues imply that a challenging evening may be ahead.

With Ihattaren and Zeefuik both in excellent form, Buijs’s squad possesses ample attacking quality to capitalize on the hosts’ weaknesses and secure the three points.