FC Utrecht
- FC Utrecht have won five, drawn two and lost two of their nine Eredivisie home games, scoring 18 goals.
- Sparta Rotterdam edged FC Utrecht 2-1 in the Eredivisie five months ago and the hosts will have to make amends for that defeat when the sides reconvene on Sunday.
- It promises to be a very close game in the Dutch top-flight, however, as Sparta are 7th with 29 points from 19 games and the home side are 10th with 23 from 18.
- However, Utrecht are in bad form, having suffered back-to-back defeats, while Sparta are on a roll on the road.
- Jans is nearing retirement, so he also has a lot to prove at Utrecht and the narrative around this game adds some extra weight to the fixture.
Sparta Rotterdam
- Sparta Rotterdam are on a three-game winning streak away.
- Steijn was appointed Sparta boss in November 2024 and his aggressive style has got his players singing his song, particularly when they are allowed to play on the front foot.
Head-to-Head
- However, Maurice Steijn’s Sparta Rotterdam have brought some renewed intensity to their 4-3-3 system with a much higher pressing game, more compact defence and quicker transitions in possession that they are hard to stop once the ball is moving forward.
- So, this is a battle of wills where Sparta will look to disrupt Utrecht’s build-up, while the home team will try to overload the wings and control the pace of play.
- Sparta have scored an average of 1.44 goals per away game, winning five and losing four from nine Eredivisie road games and Utrecht have averaged 1.3 goals at home in the last five head-to-heads, so there is an argument for both teams to score here at 1.6.
Key Players
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Key players to watch:
- Victor Jensen is Utrecht’s best bet for a goal, who has bagged five in eight Eredivisie appearances this term and scored two of the last five goals for his club.
- Tobias Lauritsen has bagged nine Eredivisie goals in 19 appearances to date.
- Souffian El Karouani is the creative engine in Utrecht’s midfield with nine assists in 17 Eredivisie games.
Betting Insights
The odds for this game reflect the superiority of Utrecht as favorites at 1.78 to Sparta’s 4.2 , but the Rotterdam side are on a run away from home and could upset the odds if they gain momentum.
Prediction
However, our preference is to back the visitors to come away with the win and take the win-draw-win option.
