Feyenoord will be looking to extend their winning run in the Eredivisie on Friday night when they play host to bottom-half opposition PEC Zwolle at Stadion Feijenoord.
Another three points for the hosts in this match will keep them in the hunt for Champions League qualification, while a win for the visitors will take them one point away from safety this season.
Match preview
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After beating AZ Alkmaar 1-0 without registering a single shot on goal at the start of the month, Feyenoord put in a much better shift to overcome Fortuna Sittard on the road last week, thanks to a brace by Jakub Moder.
That victory marked the Pride of the South's fifth consecutive league win, which is their longest run without dropping a single point since between April and May at the end of last season.
Additionally, the result also took new boss Robin van Persie's record to five wins in six since arriving in Rotterdam, and if his side wins this match, he will become the first Feyenood manager to win six of his first seven league games since Bert van Marwijk's second stint with the club back in 2007.
Given his side's record in this contest, van Persie will likely be confident in their chances of getting a win, as they demolished PEC 5-1 in the reverse fixture in August, which was their ninth win on the bounce against the Zwolle-based outfit.
The hosts have also been very good at home this season, currently unbeaten in their last five matches (W4 D1), while the two defeats they conceded at Stadion Feijenoord this term were against formidable opponents in Utrecht and Ajax.
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Meanwhile, for a second straight game and the third time in four weeks, PEC Zwolle squandered points from a winning position, drawing 1-1 with Twente last weekend after Damian van der Haar gave them the lead midway through the second half.
Blauwvingers had previously let a two-goal advantage slip against basement club Almere City at the start of the month and dropped a one-goal lead away to Sparta ahead of the international break.
While Johnny Jansen's side is not in immediate danger of the drop - seven points clear of Willem II in the relegation playoff spot - had they held on to those lost points, they would have been in the top half of the table entering this match.
All indicators suggest that the visitors are likely to leave empty-handed from this match, since in addition to losing their last nine games against this opponent, they have only won one of their 14 games on the road this season.
Team News
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Igor Paixao was on the scoresheet when these sides last met, and he has been in good goal-scoring form at home of late, netting four goals in his last five league matches at Stadion Feijenoord.
The hosts have several players ruled out for this match due to injury, including the likes of Thomas Beelen, Calvin Stengs, Bart Nieuwkooop, Justin Bijlow and Jordan Lotomba.
Despite PEC Zwolle's struggles this season, Dylan Vente has been a bright spark for the side, having scored 13 goals to date, which is the third-most in the division behind Sem Steijn and Troy Parrott.
The visitors are missing just two players at present in Tristan Gooijer and Samir Lagsir, both of whom are ruled out for the remainder of the season owing to serious knee injuries.
Feyenoord possible starting lineup:
Wellenreuther; Read, Trauner, Hancko, Hartman; Zerrouki, Milambo, Moder; Moussa, Ueda, Paixao
PEC Zwolle possible starting lineup:
Schendelaar; Aertssen, Graves, McNulty, Floranus; El Azzouzi, Thomas; Krastev, Van den Berg, Namli; Vente
We say: Feyenoord 3-1 PEC Zwolle
Feyenoord have been in excellent form since the arrival of Robin van Persie and are now aiming for a sixth league win on the bounce and 10th without defeat since the start of February.
The hosts have also won each of their last nine league games against this opponent, and we feel they will take that record to double digits with another victory in this one.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Devesh Jaganath
