Preview: FC Twente vs. Sparta Rotterdam - prediction, team news, lineups

FC Twente and Sparta Rotterdam are separated by one place in the Eredivisie table heading into round 30's encounter at De Grolsch Veste.

The Pride of the East could leapfrog the visitors if they secure maximum points, having relinquished fifth place after last week's defeat by Utrecht.

Match preview

Twente were unlikely to make it into the top two in the Eredivisie, so a playoff spot was the season's expectation.

With five games remaining, the Tukkers are also not expected to supplant third-placed PSV Eindhoven, who have an 11-point lead over Ron Jans's troops.

A 1-0 loss at Utrecht and Sparta's 4-0 victory over Heerenveen saw Twente slide to sixth in the standings, but they could take back fifth place by beating this weekend's opponents.

Last round's reverse was the first loss in six games, keeping three clean sheets in that time, but they will back themselves to return to winning ways in gameweek 30.

Much of this is owed to an incredible form at De Grolsch Veste that has seen the Pride of the East stay unbeaten after 14 games on their turf.

Only PSV (37 points) have accrued more points than Twente (36), whose seven home goals conceded is the lowest in the Eredivisie.

They welcome a team that interestingly have the fifth-best home and away record in the league, even if they have understandably scored more goals on their turf.

Maurice Steijn's troops have netted 19 goals in 14 matches away from Rotterdam and are on a promising sequence of results heading to Sunday's meeting, claiming three successive road victories.

The most recent success came at AZ Alkmaar, securing a 1-0 triumph over the league's fourth-best side on April 8.

They have picked up five wins from six in the competition, giving them assuredness to avoid defeat against an opponent that seldom loses on their ground.

Arno Verschueren rescued a point for Sparta when both sides faced off last November, when it ended 1-1 in Rotterdam.

Team News

Mees Hilgers is a doubt for Twente, having failed to feature since going off early against AZ, making it unlikely that the centre-back returns this weekend.

Jans should line up the side in a 4-3-3 for Sunday's clash.

Bart Vriends and Rick Meissen have ankle injuries and are not expected to feature for Sparta.

Calf and ankle injuries have limited Jonathan de Guzman's appearances this term, and the 35-year-old is out of Sunday's game because of an ankle issue.

FC Twente possible starting lineup:

Unnerstall; Brenet, Pleguezuelo, Propper, Smal; Stijn, Zerrouki, Vlap; Cerny, Van Wolfswinkel, Misidjan

Sparta Rotterdam possible starting lineup:

Olij; Sambo, Abels, Eerdhuijzen, Pinto; Kitolano, Namli; Van Crooij, Verschueren, Saito; Lauritsen

We say: FC Twente 2-1 Sparta Rotterdam

Twente have scored at least twice in all but two games on their turf, and that pattern is expected to continue when Sparta visits, thus halting the away side's three-game winning run on their travels.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.