Preview: RKC Waalwijk vs. Groningen - prediction, team news, lineups

Two sides in desperate need of a win, albeit for very different reasons, clash at the Mandemakers Stadion on Saturday when RKC Waalwijk host Groningen.

The visitors were victorious in December's reverse fixture, so a win here would complete a league double over their hosts.

Match preview

© Reuters

Waalwijk lost for the second game running as they succumbed to a 2-0 defeat versus Sparta Rotterdam at the Het Kasteel on Saturday.

The match was level going into half time, but second-half goals from Tom Beugelsdijk and Bryan Smeets condemned RKC to their 13th league loss this term.

Fred Grim's men are 14th in the Eredivisie table, two points away from the relegation zone, and in need of an upturn in form.

Their inefficiency in front of goal has been a major Achilles heel as they have scored more goals than only ADO Den Haag in the entire division.

Saturday's hosts have not won any of the last seven meetings between the sides, so they will be expecting a tough encounter.

Groningen were held to a disappointing 1-1 stalemate by 18th-placed Emmen at the Hitachi Capital Mobility Stadion on Saturday.

Alessio Da Cruz scored on the hour mark to cancel out Glenn Bijl's first-half strike, ensuring a share of the spoils as a result.

Trots van het Noorden remain in sixth place, but they are now eight points off the top four with only eight matches left to play.

While the away side have dominated this fixture of late, it is worth noting that they have only won on the road once since the turn of the year.

Team News

For the third game running, Groningen will be without their leading goalscorer as Jorgen Strand Larsen continues to battle with a knock.

On a brighter note, Ahmed El Messaoudi has returned to action just in time to fill the void left by his Norwegian teammate in attack.

Azor Matusiwa is ruled out of the clash with a damaged knee which he sustained in his side's loss to Vitesse, but he is not far off a return to action.

Waalwijk's Morad El Haddouti is unfit to play due to an ankle injury which he picked up in November when he was beginning to make his mark.

Finn Stokkers has scored the most league goals for the hosts this term, despite having not found the back of the net since the turn of the year.

RKC Waalwijk possible starting lineup:
Lamprou; Quasten, Touba, Meulensteen, Bakari; Azhil, Van Der Venne, Tahiri; Oosting, Stokkers, Daneels

Groningen possible starting lineup:
Padt; Van Hintum, Itakura, Te Wierik, Dankerlui; Schreck, Van Kaam; Suslov, El Hankouri, Da Cruz; Joosten

We say: RKC Waalwijk 1-1 Groningen

The teams come into the game off the back of largely unconvincing performances in recent matches, and we expect that trend to continue with a share of the spoils in this one.