VVV Venlo
- VVV lost 3, drew 1 and won 1 in their last 5 pre-season games.
- VVV conceded in 4 of their final 5 preseason games, but scored themselves in the last 4.
- The home side start the new season under Marinus Dijkhuizen, whose teams lean on structured attacking play, flexible shapes, and organised pressing triggers.
Heracles Almelo
- Heracles lost 1 and won 3 in their last 4.
- Heracles have had more preseason preparation than VVV.
- The Almelo side that Vincent Heilmann has moulded is more vertical and aggressive than most in this division.
Head-to-Head
The head-to-head record is dominated by Heracles, who have won 8 of the last 14 competitive meetings with VVV taking 5 and 1 draw.
Key Players
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Heracles
- Yvandro Borges Sanches gives them a real whipper snapper out wide, stretching defences and creating space for Jeff Reine-Adélaïde and Bryan Limbombe to run into.
- Those two have real quality and the ability to unlock packed central defenses or find the odd ball for Heracles' chief goal threat Luka Kulenović to put away.
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VVV
- Dean Zandbergen was VVV's top finisher in 2025-26 and should again be the focal point of their attacking play in 2026-27.
- Edhy Zuliani and Nassim Ait Mouhou should drive their chances from wide and attacking midfield areas.
Betting Insights
- The 2.25 Heracles price is an opportunity to take, but the 3.7 draw and 2.85 VVV options look too big to ignore in a fixture that has been so evenly matched in recent years.
- So, with the odds leaning more towards goals than a Heracles win, the selection is for the visitors to avoid defeat in a game that should have more than 2.5 goals scored.
Prediction
- With promotion back to the top-flight on the mind following relegation, Heracles Almelo should arrive in Venlo as the favourites to start the Eerste Divisie 2026-2027 campaign with 3 points on Friday.
- The most likely score line would appear to be 1-1, but with both sides capable of landing a heavy punch in an open game, Heracles could also be the 2-1 winners.
