📏 Form Guide

FC Utrecht

DLLDWW 🌤

FC Utrecht, who won their previous game, will hope for a similar result following a 2-3 Eredivisie success versus Willem II.

In that match, FC Utrecht had 64% possession and 15 attempts on goal with 6 on target. For FC Utrecht, the goalscorers were Sébastien Haller (67'), Noah Ohio (75') and Adrian Blake (85'). For their opponents, Willem II had 13 attempts at goal with 6 of them on target. Boris Lambert (17') and Rúnar Þór Sigurgeirsson (83') scored for Willem II.

It’s not been often in recent games where FC Utrecht have managed to hold out for a full 90 minutes. The facts show that FC Utrecht have seen their defence breached in 5 of their previous 6 matches, shipping 10 goals on the way. Nevertheless, it remains to be seen if the trend will be replicated here in this game.

Going into this contest, FC Utrecht haven't been beaten in the league by NEC in their last 2 matches.

NEC

DLDLDL 📉

After being beaten in their last game against Go Ahead Eagles in Eredivisie competition, NEC and their travelling fans will hope for a better result here.

In that match, NEC had 35% possession and 10 attempts at goal with 4 on target. For NEC, the goalscorers were Brayann Pereira (69') and Kento Shiogai (91'). At the other end, Go Ahead Eagles got 27 shots on goal with 14 of them on target. Dean James (41'), Milan Smit (66') and Oliver Antman (75') scored for Go Ahead Eagles.

Looking at their form, and NEC have been scored against in 5 of their last 6 matches, with opponents netting 12 goals in total. Defensively, NEC can certainly do much better.

Looking at the pre-match facts, NEC:

• haven't beaten FC Utrecht in away games against them for the last 6 league matches. They really have not been travelling well at all.
• are without an away win for the past 3 matches in the league.

🤜🤛 Head to head

Looking at their prior head to head meetings going back to 29/04/2022 tells us that FC Utrecht have won 3 of these games & NEC 1, with the tally of draws being 2.

A combined total of 12 goals were scored between the two sides during those clashes, with 6 of them for Utreg and 6 belonging to NEC. This gives an average number of goals per game equal to 2.

The last league meeting between these clubs was Eredivisie match day 13 on 24/11/2024 when the final score was NEC 1-2 FC Utrecht.

In that match, NEC managed 62% possession and 19 attempts at goal with 6 of them on target. Their only player to score was Sontje Hansen (48').

For their opponents, FC Utrecht had 10 attempts at goal with 6 of them on target. Yoann Cathline (35') and Victor Jensen (62') scored.

The match was refereed by Bas Nijhuis.

📋 Team News: FC Utrecht

Yoann Cathline (Knee problems), Miguel Rodríguez (Groin injury), Niklas Vesterlund (Ankle injury) and Can Bozdogan (Ankle surgery) won’t be playing for FC Utrecht manager Ron Jans.

It looks as if Utreg should line up in a 4-4-2 formation for this one, utilising Vasilios Barkas, Siebe Horemans, Matisse Didden, Nick Viergever, Souffian El Karouani, Zidane Iqbal, Jens Toornstra, Paxten Aaronson, Oscar Fraulo, Sebastien Haller and David Min.

🗞️ Team News: NEC

Out of a mainly full-strength group, there’s just a single fitness worry for the NEC manager Rogier Meijer to contend with. Kodai Sano (Metatarsal fracture) misses out for this game.

We are inclined to think that NEC appear most likely to elect for a 3-2-4-1 system by sending out Robin Roefs, Ivan Marquez, Mees Hoedemakers, Bram Nuytinck, Brayann Pereira, Thomas Ouwejan, Sami Ouaissa, Dirk Proper, Vito van Crooij, Basar Onal and Sontje Hansen.

⚡ Prediction

We feel that in this game, FC Utrecht will likely score more than once when they come up against NEC, who could well find it tough to score.

Accordingly, we see a fairly comfortable 2-0 winning margin for FC Utrecht when all’s said and done.

Andre Moura, 15:01 15/03/2025