Excelsior Rotterdam
- Excelsior Rotterdam are in poor form in the Eredivisie, with three straight defeats and one win in their last five games.
- Since then, the hosts have dropped to 15th with 26 points from 25.
- Excelsior’s system, meanwhile, is almost the antithesis of Heerenveen’s.
- Excelsior are more than capable of matching Heerenveen in terms of their intensity, but they will surely be glad of the chance to have the ball in their own hands.
SC Heerenveen
- SC Heerenveen, meanwhile, have won three of their last five Eredivisie games (L2).
- Heerenveen are no longer a side set up to park the bus, and their pressing from the front and high-tempo style means that there is often space in the final third for their wide players to attack.
- Veldman’s side are likely to push forward in this clash, and have the pace to make problems for Excelsior’s defensive line.
- Heerenveen have a respectable away record this season, with four wins, two draws and six losses from their 12 road games in Eredivisie.
Head-to-Head
Heerenveen, who sit 9th in the Eredivisie with 34 points from 25 games, beat Excelsior at home 2-1 the last time the two played in the Eredivisie, some five months ago.
Key Players
- Heerenveen have a player who can make a difference in the striker Jacob Trenskow, who has nine goals in 24 Eredivisie appearances, while Gyan de Regt has proven to be an offensive spark for Excelsior, providing three assists in their last five Eredivisie outings.
- Excelsior’s leading scorer Noah Naujoks has been a reliable source of goals, scoring seven times in 22 league games.
Betting Insights
The odds for both teams to score on Saturday are a little too short ( 1.53 ), but the 1.65 about over 2.5 goals looks good, while I’m also backing the visitors for an away win at 2.28 .
Prediction
Heerenveen can probably come away with a win after their impressive recent form, and a high-scoring game seems likely, considering the contrast in styles between the two sides.
