RKC Waalwijk will aim to bounce back from their recent defeat when they welcome Europe-chasing Fortuna Sittard at the Mandemakers Stadion in the Eredivisie on Friday night.
The hosts are 17th in the standings with 17 points from their 23 league fixtures, while the visitors are 11th in the table with 26 points from 23 matches.
Match preview
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RKC Waalwijk have fluctuated up and down the Eredivisie standings since booking their return to the top division by winning the promotion/relegation playoffs in 2018-19.
RKC battled against the drop in each of their first two seasons before climbing into the fight for European qualification places in the next two campaigns, narrowly missing out in both 2021-22 and 2022-23.
However, they returned to the relegation scrap last term, scraping their survival as they finished 15th in the standings, only above 16th-placed Excelsior in the relegation playoff place on goal difference.
RKC Waalwijk, under the management of Henk Fraser since July 2023, are once again fighting for their survival this season, currently placed 17th in the table with only 17 points after 23 fixtures, from four wins, five draws and 14 losses.
A dreadful start to the campaign saw RKC fail win just one of their opening 19 league games, including losses in all of their first eight, but a recent upturn in form saw Fraser's team pick up three consecutive victories.
While that winning streak was ended with a 2-0 defeat to Twente in their most recent outing, those triumphs would have undoubtedly boosted and lifted the spirits in the RKC Waalwijk camp.
A victory on Friday could see RKC Waalwijk exit the bottom two for the first time this term, but the hosts would require all three points, a Sparta Rotterdam defeat and a two-goal swing in their favour.
That may be a challenging task given they matchup with Europe-chasing Fortuna Sittard, though the visitors are enduring a miserable run of their own heading into this one.
Sittard have failed to win any of their last six matches in the Eredivisie, suffering five defeats and managing only one draw in that time - results that have seen them slip out of the European qualification places.
Danny Buijs's side are now placed 11th in the Eredivisie table, having accumulated 26 points after 23 games, from seven wins, five draws and 11 defeats, leaving them a point outside the top nine.
Despite the challenging period they have endured in the build up to this clash, Sittard have dominated this fixture in recent history, with three successive victories against RKC Waalwijk in their past meetings.
Team News
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The hosts will be without the services of Daouda Weidmann, Dario van den Buijs, Denilho Cleonise, Roshon van Eijma and Yanick van Osch due to ongoing injury issues.
Despite suffering a 2-0 defeat in their last outing, Fraser may opt to keep faith in a similar side to the one that delivered three consecutive wins in the prior matches.
Oskar Zawada has been vital in their fight for survival, their top scorer with nine goals in 20 league games, including four in his past five, and they will look to the striker to make the difference again here.
As for Sittard, Kaj Sierhuis, Mattijs Branderhorst, Onur Demir and Ramazan Bayram are all unlikely to feature due to injury issues, though all four are expected to return in the coming weeks.
The visitors have recorded just one point in their last six league games, meaning Buijs may make several changes to the starting team in an attempt to secure their first Eredivisie win since December.
RKC Waalwijk possible starting lineup:
Houwen; Mazyani, Lelieveld, Gelderen, Familio-Castillo; Felida, Loo, Oukili; Ihattaren; Zawada, Margaret
Fortuna Sittard possible starting lineup:
Koopmans; Pinto, Ottele, Guth, Dijks; Bastien, Loreintz; Michut, Halilovic, Tunjic; Cruz
We say: RKC Waalwijk 2-1 Fortuna Sittard
Despite Fortuna Sittard having a superior record in this fixture and placing much higher in the table than the hosts, RKC Waalwijk have been in greater form in recent weeks, leading us to expect a home win.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Ellis Stevens
