Fortuna Sittard will be looking to bounce back from a difficult last fixture with a victory over AZ Alkmaar at Fortuna Sittard Stadion on Sunday night in the Eredivisie.
Sittard suffered a heavy defeat at current champions Ajax last time out, while Alkmaar were beat by Anderlecht in the Europa Conference League on Thursday.
Match preview
© Reuters
Fortuna Sittard's survival in the Eredivisie for a fifth-straight season looks a little more in danger following a run of three losses in their last four, including last Sunday's trashing at the hands of Ajax.
Goals from Steven Berghuis, Steven Bergwijn and Kenneth Taylor secured a comfortable victory in Amsterdam for Johnny Heitinga's men - a result which represents Fortuna's heaviest so far this season.
Sittard remain in 11th position in the Eredivisie standings, now seven points above the relegation-playoff zone with just six matches left to go - it would take quite the collapse to see the club playing second-tier football in August.
Julio Velazquez's side have never finished in the top half of the Dutch top flight since returning to this level in 2018, and with ninth-placed RKC Waalwijk just three points ahead, this could be the year Fortuna end their run of bottom-half placements.
Alkmaar head to Fortuna on Sunday after a disappointing display in the first leg of their Europa Conference League quarter-final against Belgian outfit Anderlecht, with the 2-0 scoreline leaving AZ with a lot to do in the reverse fixture this coming Thursday.
Pascal Jansen's men have hardly been in scintillating form in the Eredivisie either, having extended their winless run to three matches with a 1-0 home loss to Sparta Rotterdam last weekend.
With second-placed Ajax only five points in the league standings, Alkmaar still have an outside chance of earning a Champions League qualifying-round spot for next season - although the red-hot form of third-placed PSV Eindhoven would hint towards otherwise.
Evangelos Pavlidis has been AZ's main marksman so far this campaign - the Greece international has reached double digits for Eredivisie goals in each of the last four seasons.
Team News
© Reuters
Sittard boss Velazquez is likely to make a number of changes to the XI that lost at Ajax last time out, with Ximo Navarro and Paul Gladon set to earn starting berths on the weekend.
Burak Yilmaz failed to score on Sunday but has netted nine goals so far for Sittard - that record should be enough for the Turkish international to keep his place in the team on Sunday.
Alkmaar will be without Jesper Karlsson until the end of the month - the Swede has provided 10 goal contributions in just 20 Eredivisie appearances so far this term.
A long-term absentee for AZ is that of youngster Sem Westerveld - the goalkeeper's graduation to the first team has been delayed by a serious knee injury suffered in November.
Fortuna Sittard possible starting lineup:
Pandur; Pinto, Guth, Slovas, Navarro; Gladon, Binstrovic, Ozyakup; Noslin, Yilmaz, Cordoba
AZ Alkmaar possible starting lineup:
Ryan; Sugawara, Hatzidiakos, Beukema, Kerkez; Reijnders, Clasie, Odgaard, Mijnans, Mihailovic; Meerink
We say: Fortuna Sittard 0-1 AZ Alkmaar
Fortuna are a few more results away from Eredivisie safety this season, but face a tricky assignment on Sunday against an Alkmaar side who will be looking for a response after their Conference League defeat on Thursday.
AZ will have one eye on that second leg with Anderlecht next week, but we believe they will focus enough to get the better of Sittard on Sunday night.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Carter White
