Preview: Fortuna Sittard vs NAC Breda - prediction, team news, lineups

NAC Breda continue their quest for top-flight survival on Sunday as they lock horns with Fortuna Sittard at the Fortuna Sittard Stadion in the latest round of Eredivisie action.

A victory this weekend would see the visitors complete their first league double over the home side since 2002 and, more importantly, temporarily move them out of the bottom two before SBV Excelsior face PEC Zwolle.

Match preview

Fortuna's already slim hopes of a top-eight finish were further dented by a 2-0 defeat to AZ Alkmaar, making it three defeats from four matches since their back-to-back wins to close out February.

Danny Buijs's side failed to muster any significant attacking threat and were perhaps fortunate to lose by only two. As a result, Fortuna begin the weekend four places and seven points behind Sparta Rotterdam in eighth.

Much like last season, the Fortunezen enter their final five matches on a rough patch and will hope to replicate their strong finish to 2024-25, when they lost just once between late April and mid-May.

Back on home turf for the first time in three weeks, Sittard are targeting a return to winning ways, having lost their last two home games to Twente and Telstar by a combined score of 6-2.

Currently without a clean sheet in 18 consecutive matches in all competitions, Sunday’s hosts cannot afford to remain frail at the back, despite boasting an attacking unit that had scored in 13 straight games before the trip to Alkmaar.

After back-to-back defeats, Breda's goalless stalemate against Sparta last time out will feel like a step forward, but time is running out for them to pick up the wins needed to move clear of danger.

Alongside Excelsior (16th) and Heracles (18th), Carl Hoefkens's side are one of only three teams without a league win in the last five gameweeks, collecting just two points from a possible 15.

Having finished 15th last season, Parel van het Zuiden are no strangers to a relegation battle, but they have little margin for error—especially with their final four matches after this weekend all coming against current top-half teams.

Breda have scored the joint-fewest goals (29) and created the second-fewest big chances (52) in the division, so a large degree of their improvement in the final stretch of the campaign must come at the top end of the pitch.

With just one away league win from 14 attempts this season, Sunday's clash is as good a time as any for the visitors to turn things around, having lost each of their last three matches on the road and conceded 11 goals in that run.

Fortuna Sittard Eredivisie form:

NAC Breda Eredivisie form:

Team News

Goalkeepers Ramazan Bayram, Mattijs Branderhorst and Nick Marsman are all sidelined, so Luuk Koopmans is expected to retain his place in goal for the ninth consecutive game.

Moussa Gbemou, Daley Sinkgraven, Ivo Pinto, Edouard Michut, Justin Lonwijk, Justin Hubner and Alen Halilovic also remain on the hosts' treatment table.

With 10 assists this season, Mohammed Ihattaren has been Fortuna's main creative force, and they will be eager to have him back after missing two games with a hamstring problem.

Leo Greiml served the final match of his three-game suspension in Breda's last outing, so the Austrian midfielder is available to return this weekend.

However, Moussa Soumano remains out of contention due to an ankle injury sustained in February, leaving him as Breda's only guaranteed absentee.

Fortuna Sittard possible starting lineup:

Koopmans; Kasanwirjo, Alvarez, Adewoye, Dahlhaus; Brittijn, Oukili; Limnios, Duijvestijn, Sierhuis, Gladon

NAC Breda possible starting lineup:

Bielica; Kemper, Hillen, Jensen, Odoi; Leemans, Balard; Paula, Nassoh, Brym; Salama

We say: Fortuna Sittard 1-1 NAC Breda

Given Fortuna's lengthy injury list, Breda may sense an opportunity to secure a much-needed win, but their away woes are unlikely to disappear just yet.

We are backing the teams to cancel each other out and settle for a point apiece when all is said and done.

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