Groningen will be hoping to make it two victories in a row on Sunday when they host Go Ahead Eagles at the Euroborg in their latest Eredivisie fixture.
Both teams find themselves in the lower half of the table heading into the match, but a victory has the potential to propel either side into the top 10, depending on other results.
Match preview
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Groningen have only managed to win five games in the league so far this season, while also drawing seven, therefore the need for consistency is something that the squad shall be searching for in the second half of the campaign.
The squad have just two victories in their previous six outings in all competitions, but one of those did take place last weekend, which will have provided a much-needed confidence boost.
Goals from Jorgen Strand Larsen, Michael de Leeuw and Daniel van Kaam were enough to defeat Vitesse 3-1, which helped the club stay within touching distance of the top half.
Danny Buijs will now want to see his team kick on and continue in that form, as they sit just three points away from 10th place, with a victory potentially taking them above Heerenveen on goal difference.
However, with only eight points separating them and the relegation zone, Groningen will be looking over their shoulders slightly, not wanting to be dragged into a late fight for survival.
That is a situation that Go Ahead Eagles also find themselves in, as they are level on points with their opponents on Sunday, but they have a weaker goal-difference record.
The squad have only managed to score 20 goals this season, while conceding 32 times, and the fact they have only found the back of the net twice in their previous eight matches is a cause for concern.
One of those goals did come in their most recent outing though, as Isac Lidberg got himself on the scoresheet to help his team come back from behind to earn a point against Heracles.
However, Go Ahead Eagles are without a victory in the Eredivisie since November, with a seven-match run now taking place since they last secured three points.
The club will also be aware of the fact that it was Groningen who won when these teams met earlier this season, with a goal from Larsen being enough to separate the two teams as both Joris Kramer and Inigo Cordoba ended up being sent off.
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Team News
Radinio Balker remains a long-term absence for Groningen due to a cruciate ligament injury, while Daleho Irandust is also unavailable due to fitness issues.
However, after picking up three points in their previous outing, there might not be many changes taking place for the hosts as they look to capitalise on the momentum.
Go Ahead Eagles should be able to welcome back Yacine Bourhane to the squad after his time in the Africa Cup of Nations has come to an end, as long as he is match fit.
However, Marc Cardona has a muscle problem heading into this game, while Martijn Berden is out of action with an ankle injury, ruling both men out for Sunday.
Groningen possible starting lineup:
Leeuwenburgh; Meijer, Van Hintum, Te Wierik, Dankerlui; Abraham, Sulov, Bogarde, Kasanwirjo; Larsen, De Leeuw
Go Ahead Eagles possible starting lineup:
Noppert; Kramer, Idzes, Martina; Dejil, Brouwers, Rommens, Lucassen; Cordoba, Oratmangeon, Lidberg
We say: Groningen 1-1 Go Ahead Eagles
This match brings together two teams that are short on confidence and momentum, with both needing to pick up a victory here to truly get going in the second half of the season.
However, the lack of goals that Go Ahead Eagles are scoring right now could prove to be an issue, but with the hosts also not in great form, a draw could be likely.
Top tip
Data Analysis
Our analysis of all available data, including recent performances and player stats up until an hour before kickoff, suggested the most likely outcome of this match was a Groningen win with a probability of 48.68%. A draw had a probability of 26.9% and a win for Go Ahead Eagles had a probability of 24.4%.
The most likely scoreline for a Groningen win was 1-0 with a probability of 13.62%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 2-0 (9.7%) and 2-1 (8.95%). The likeliest drawn scoreline was 1-1 (12.57%), while for a Go Ahead Eagles win it was 0-1 (8.83%). The actual scoreline of 2-1 was predicted with an 9% likelihood. Our data analysis correctly predicted that Groningen would win this match.
