Sparta Rotterdam (home)
- Sparta Rotterdam are unbeaten in their last two Eredivisie home games (Won 1, Drawn 1).
- Sparta Rotterdam have conceded 20 goals in 14 Eredivisie home league matches (1.43 per game).
- Sparta Rotterdam are eighth in the table with 42 points from 29 matches, PSV Eindhoven are top of the Eredivisie on 71 points after 29 games.
- Sparta Rotterdam have a compact, controlled approach to the 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3, while PSV Eindhoven like to play a fast-paced, high-pressing 4-3-3 system.
- Sparta’s manager, Maurice Steijn, has instilled a strong sense of discipline in his team and they are organised, not overcomplicated and very tough to break down.
- The team press selectively and when they do, they must do it right as they do not recover well.
PSV Eindhoven (away)
- PSV Eindhoven have lost their last two away Eredivisie games.
- PSV Eindhoven have an even better away record in the Eredivisie of 12 wins and 2 defeats from 14 games.
- They score an average of 2.50 goals per away game and concede an average of 1.14 per game.
- PSV’s form has been patchy lately, 2 wins and 3 losses in their last 5 Eredivisie contests, and 2 recent away defeats have us siding with Sparta on the double chance.
Head-to-Head
Peter Bosz’s PSV Eindhoven are the favorites to win this Saturday’s encounter, which makes sense given the quality of the visitors and the fact they have won the last 2 head-to-heads and beat Sparta 6-1, at home, in the Eredivisie 8 months ago.
Key Players
- Ivan Perisic has made a significant impact since arriving at PSV Eindhoven, creating 4 of their goals in the last 5 Eredivisie matches, while Ismael Saibari leads their goal chart with 14 in 25 league appearances, 3 in their last 10 games.
- The main offensive threat for Sparta Rotterdam is Tobias Lauritsen, who has scored 11 goals in 29 Eredivisie games this season.
Betting Insights
- However, the odds for an away win are a little low at 1.8.
- Over 2.5 goals are priced at 1.38 which is too short for our taste, but Both teams to score at 1.4 seems more palatable.
Prediction
- The high-pressing style of PSV Eindhoven and the defensive resilience of Sparta Rotterdam make this a tough game to call as a result, but we can be confident that the game will be open with both teams getting on the scoresheet.
- PSV should have more of the ball and will dictate the tempo of the game, but Sparta’s home record and structure are good enough to suggest they can break down the league leaders.
