Preview: Sparta Rotterdam vs. FC Utrecht - prediction, team news, lineups

Sparta Rotterdam welcome FC Utrecht to the Het Kasteel on Thursday aiming to make it four Eredivisie wins on the bounce.

Meanwhile, the visitors are unbeaten in their last eight games on the road, with their last away defeat coming back in January.

Match preview

© Reuters

Sparta Rotterdam claimed a third win on the trot following an emphatic 3-0 triumph over Vitesse at the Het Kasteel on Friday.

Bryan Smeets opened the scoring in the first half and set up Lennart Thy's 77th-minute strike, before Emanuel Emegha made sure of the result a few minutes after coming off the bench.

Henk Fraser's men are now up to eighth in the Eredivisie table and are on course to secure qualification for European football next season.

However, with teams like Heracles and Fortuna Sittard breathing down their neck, De Rood-Witte Gladiatoren still have work to do in getting over the line.

Thursday's hosts have a dreadful record against the visitors, losing each of the last eight games including a 1-0 loss in January's reverse fixture.

Utrecht failed to extend their winning streak to three games as they were held to a drab 0-0 draw by Heerenveen on Saturday.

Rene Hake's men were the better side on the day, but they failed to make that dominance count on a frustrating day in front of goal for them.

Nonetheless, The Domstedelingen are still on course to record their highest points tally since the 2016/17 campaign where they finished with 62 points.

The maximum they can achieve this term is 57, but that could be enough to get them back into continental football for the first time in a decade.

Team News

Utrecht's Reda Akmum is expected to be unavailable for the game as he remains sidelined with a damaged knee which has kept him out since February.

Like Akmum, 27-year-old Mimoun Mahi continues to nurse a knee injury, and the Moroccan is also a major doubt for the visitors.

Christopher Mamengi continues to miss out through an ankle injury which he picked up while in action with the reserve team.

The home team will have to cope with the absence of Tim Coremans, who has missed the last nine months of action due to a shoulder problem.

After recovering from a thigh injury, Bart Vriends returned to the starting XI for the first time since March last time out.

Sparta Rotterdam possible starting lineup:
Okoye; Abels, Heylen, Beugelsdijk, Fortes; Auassar, Burger, Smeets; Duarte, Mijnans, Thy

FC Utrecht possible starting lineup:
Oelschlagel; Warmerdam, Janssen, Van der Maarel, Ter Avest; Van Overeem, Van de Streek, Maher; Boussaid, Kerk, Gustafson

We say: Sparta Rotterdam 1-2 FC Utrecht

With both sides on a great run of form heading into this one, the match has all the makings of a truly absorbing contest. The away side are the favourites for this one as their league position would suggest, and we are tipping them to get the job done.