VVV Venlo
- De Graafschap have won three, drawn one and lost one of their last five games, while VVV Venlo have won one, drawn one and lost three of their last five.
- They can be effective on the break, but don’t score many goals from open play, averaging just over one goal per game at home this season from 20 strikes in 17 games.
- VVV have been in inconsistent form, winning their most recent home game 3-0 against Cambuur and then losing 1-0 away to Jong PSV.
De Graafschap
- De Graafschap have won eight, drawn five and lost four of their 17 Eerste Divisie away games this season.
- Superfans De Gielzen sit third in the Eerste Divisie table with 59 points from 35 games while VVV are twelfth with 41 points from the same number of matches.
- Marinus Dijkhuizen’s men have made a fine fist of things, moving up the table with his high-tempo 4-3-3 system that presses energetically and plays direct and to the wide areas.
- Uneken’s men set up in a 4-2-3-1 formation that can play compact in defense, but prefer to pounce on the counter-attack rather than press the opposition high up the pitch for long periods.
- There is a lot of confidence in the Superfans camp at the moment and they can take the win in a high-scoring game, but they have conceded 25 in 17 away games - an average of 1.47 per game in the Eerste Divisie - and may be vulnerable at some stage to a counter-attack by the hosts.
Head-to-Head
Head-to-head, De Graafschap have won the spoils three times to Venlo’s two with no draws in the last five.
Key Players
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Dean and De Graafschap
- Dean Zandbergen is their top marksman with 11 goals in 31 Eerste Divisie appearances and has scored five of Venlo’s last six goals.
- De Graafschap's 19-goal striker Reuven Niemeijer, who has scored four in his last five league appearances, is a greater scoring threat, although the bet that makes the most appeal on Saturday is the one where we expect both teams to score.
Betting Insights
- De Graafschap are the favorites for this game and we feel it’s worth taking the2.15odds on offer in that market with a high percentage of their goals and points earned away from home this term.
- The odds for ‘Both Teams to Score - Yes’ are 1.3 and ‘Over 2.5 goals’ is 1.33, but we feel there is enough attacking talent on both sides to find the net and we have seen enough in the recent results of each team to suggest this will be a goal-fest.
Prediction
De Graafschap can take three points in what should be a exciting match against VVV Venlo on Saturday in a game that could have major implications for the Eerste Divisie playoffs come the end of the campaign.
