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

Less than a week after securing positive results to potentially meet their respective ambitions at opposite ends of the Eredivisie table, FC Twente and FC Volendam face off in Friday’s 30th round at De Grolsch Veste.

Twente defeated Ajax in Amsterdam for the first time since 2020, leapfrogging De Joden into fourth place, while the struggling Volendam held Feyenoord to help their survival prospects and hand PSV Eindhoven the title.

Match preview

Gameweek 29 was a pivotal one for Twente as they secured a 2-1 victory over Ajax at the Johan Cruyff Arena to end a six-year wait for victory against De Joden and to overtake the Dutch giants in the table.

The upshot of that result took John van den Brom’s team above the Amsterdam giants into a possible Europa League berth, and the fourth-placed Tukkers could aim even higher.

With 50 points accrued after 29 games, Twente could still end second or third, with four points separating them from Feyenoord and three between them and NEC heading into the 30th round.

While the Pride of the East have secured a pair of narrow 2-1 wins over Fortuna Sittard and Ajax in consecutive rounds, the team’s overall form of winning five of their last six matches and suffering just one defeat since October stands the Reds in good stead as they look to end in a possible Champions League qualification spot by finishing the season strongly.

However, the sole Eredivisie defeat suffered in the last six months came recently at the hands of FC Utrecht in Enschede, and the hosts look to avoid consecutive losses in front of their supporters for the first time this season.

Playing Volendam on Friday offers an ostensibly perfect opportunity to return to winning ways at De Grolsch Veste, even if the Tukkers will be wary of the visiting club’s tendency for an upset.

Rick Kruys’s team holding second-placed Feyenoord to a goalless encounter may have ended a three-match losing sequence to seal PSV’s title defence, but Palingboeren have defeated the champions this term and held Ajax, AZ Alkmaar and this weekend’s hosts to score draws.

Notably, those results were in North Holland, where Kruys’s team have claimed 23 of their 28 points.

While Heracles’ four away points remain the least in the division, Volendam’s five are not significantly better, and the visitors have suffered losses to NAC Breda (1-0), NEC (3-0) and Sparta Rotterdam since their sole road triumph at PEC Zwolle in February.

Failing to score in the recent away defeats is no surprise, with their tally of seven goals on the road being the fewest in the competition.

Not out of danger despite holding Feyenoord to a draw at home last week; a 12th away defeat could see the 14th-placed Volendam slip into the relegation playoff spot, with 16th-placed SBV Excelsior just a point behind, while NAC in 17th are only four points adrift.

FC Twente Eredivisie form:

FC Volendam Eredivisie form:

Team News

Having been an injury doubt before facing Ajax, Daan Rots will miss the visit of Volendam due to suspension after accumulating several yellow cards.

Mees Hilgers, however, remains injured due to a long-term knee injury that has kept him out for the entire season.

While Ricky van Wolfswinkel has scored eight goals this term, joint-top with Kristian Hlynsson and Rots, the veteran forward is unlikely to start ahead of Sam Lammers, whose five goals and five assists highlight his dual threat.

Even though Volendam’s Brandley Kuwas and Robert Muhren have scored six goals, and the trio of Robin van Cruijsen, Aurelio Oehlers and Henk Veerman have four each, only Van Cruijsen (two) has scored more than once away from home among the club’s leading scorers.

While Veerman, who has just one goal on the road this season, returned last week against Feyenoord after three months out, Kruys will be without the suspended Nick Verschuren and the injured pair of Dave Kwakman (knee) and Silvinho Esajas.

FC Twente possible starting lineup:

Unnerstall; Van Rooij, Lemkin, Nijstad, M Rots; Hlynsson, Zerrouki, Van den Belt; Pjaca, Lammers, Orjasaeter

FC Volendam possible starting lineup:

Van Oevelen; Ugwu, Amevor, Yah, Leliendal; Van Cruijsen, Bacuna, Kokcu; Oehlers, Kuwas, Ideho

We say: FC Twente 3-1 FC Volendam

Although Volendam have played commendably to secure some positive results against top teams this season, their dismal away record suggests another disappointing result on the road is in the offing this weekend.

Thus, an eighth victory for Twente in Enschede is anticipated, with the Tukkers tipped to put that mid-March loss to Utrecht behind them.

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