Preview:NEC vs. Feyenoord - prediction, team news, lineups

Looking to return to winning ways, Feyenoord visit Stadion de Goffert on Sunday to lock horns with NEC in round 20 of the 2021-22 Eredivisie season.

Meanwhile, the hosts head into the contest on a high off the back of three wins in their last four games across all competitions.

Match preview

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Feyenoord were beaten in their first outing of the new year on Saturday when they suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat against Vitesse at De Kuip.

Lois Openda broke the deadlock just past the midway point of the second half and that was enough to settle a keenly-contested affair in Rotterdam.

Arne Slot's men remain third in the league standings but have now fallen seven points behind league leaders PSV Eindhoven at the top of the pile.

De Stadionclub now prepare for the challenge of an opposing side who they have beaten in nine of the last 11 meetings, including a 5-3 triumph in September's reverse fixture.

Only Ajax have let in fewer goals on the road than Sunday's visitors, who have only been breached eight times in nine away games this term.

NEC booked their spot in the last eight of this year's KNVB-Beker courtesy of a 2-1 victory over Groningen at the Hitachi Capital Mobility Stadion.

Calvin Verdonk opened the scoring 10 minutes into the contest before Michael de Leeuw restored parity on the stroke of half time, only for Mikkel Duelund to grab the winner in the early stages of the second period.

The Eniesee amassed seven of the last nine league points available prior to their cup triumph, which has seen them move to ninth place on the standings.

However, their home form has been a constant letdown all-season long, with only three teams in the entire division picking up fewer than Sunday's hosts' tally of nine.

Team News

Souffian El Karouani is away on international duty with Morocco at the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations and will miss Sunday's game.

Edgar Barreto is ruled out with a muscle injury, and he is joined on the treatment table by Jonathan Okita and Pedro Ruiz.

Rens van Eijden and Mathias De Wolf still await their first appearance of the new campaign as they remain sidelined with long-term knee injuries.

Midfielder Guus Til put in a man-of-the-match performance in the reverse fixture where he scored twice and will be looking to deliver the goods once again.

Twenty-two-year-old Luis Sinisterra has missed his side's last two games due to a knee problem, but he could make his return to action this weekend.

NEC possible starting lineup:

Branderhorst; Guth, Odenthal, Marquez; Van Rooy, Schone, Proper, Verdonk; Tavsan, Bruijn, Mattsson

Feyenoord possible starting lineup:

Bijlow; Pedersen, Trauner, Geertruida, Malacia; Aursnes, Kokcu, Til; Linssen, Jahanbakhsh, Nelson

We say: NEC 0-2 Feyenoord

Feyenoord suffered a slight bump in the road last time out and will be keen to bounce back like all good teams do. We fancy them to come away with all three points come the full-time whistle in this one.