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

Winless against NEC in two years, Feyenoord travel to Goffertstadion on Saturday, hoping to get the better of their Nijmegen hosts in matchday five's Eredivisie action.

Although four places separate the teams in the early-season table, the Europa League returnees have played one fewer game heading into a weekend in which they could leapfrog their Rotterdam visitors with a win.

Match preview

It was unknown how NEC would react after a disappointing trip to Bodo/Glimt, where slim hopes of overturning a 3-1 first-leg loss went up in smoke after Gonzalo Crettaz's third-minute sending-off.

Dick Schreuder's side's eventual 3-0 loss on the night — 6-1 on aggregate — means they must make do with Europa League football in 2026-27, marking their return to the competition since 2008-09.

Returning to their bread and butter of the Eredivisie days later, a Tjaronn Chery brace and Perr Schuurs strike helped them on their way to a second league triumph in three attempts, with the Nijmegen outfit scoring eight and conceding four.

That is undeniably par for the course for the free-scoring side, whose all-or-nothing approach typically sees them score more than the opponents under Schreuder, but Feyenoord ostensibly pose a different test.

Nonetheless, going two years unbeaten in this fixture, albeit playing out three draws during that period, ought to give the partisan fans at Goffertstadion much-needed optimism ahead of Saturday's clash.

The travelling supporters may still hold frustration after events of the previous week, which saw the Pride of the South play out a 2-2 draw with league returnees ADO Den Haag.

Much of that annoyance stems from falling two goals behind after 53 minutes, but goals from Ayase Ueda — who has since left the club — and Anis Hadj Moussa preserved the Stadium Club's extended unbeaten streak in a match in which they accumulated 33 shots to Den Haag's eight, all amounting to Expected Goals (xG) of 2.37 to 0.22.

While Giovanni van Bronckhorst's men have now failed to win both matches at De Kuip, heading to Nijmegen on the back of back-to-back league victories on their travels perhaps bodes well ahead of this weekend's clash.

Even though both victories at Sparta and Cambuur were matches De Stadionclub were expected to win, a sterner test at Goffertstadion is anticipated as the Rotterdam visitors seek to preserve their 18-match run without losing.

Nonetheless, their inability to keep clean sheets — De Stadionclub have let in two goals in four consecutive Eredivisie games — leaves that sequence vulnerable heading into Saturday's NEC test.

NEC Eredivisie form:

NEC form (all competitions):

Feyenoord Eredivisie form:

Team News

Deveron Fonville went off at the break against PEC Zwolle with a suspected ankle issue, likely ruling out the defender against Feyenoord.

If Fonville is ruled out, he could join Philippe Sandler, Darko Nejasmic (head) and Ahmetcan Kaplan (knee) on the treatment table ahead of matchday five.

The hosts were beneficiaries of Chery's brace last time out, bringing him to three league goals for the season, more than any of his teammates.

The visitors can no longer rely on last season's leading scorer, Ueda, to be productive, with the forward's strike against Den Haag bringing an end to his time at the club as he has since departed for Lille.

While it remains to be seen who replaces Ueda at centre-forward — Nacho Ferri is the likeliest option — Gjivai Zechiel's dual threat of scorer and creator gives the Rotterdam giants some match-winning hope after the exit of their former frontman.

On the injury front, Van Bronckhorst will be without the sidelined Bart Nieuwkoop, Gijs Smal (ankle injury), Jakub Moder (knee), Thomas Beelen (leg) and Jordan Bos (knee).

NEC possible starting lineup:

Crettaz; Storm, Nuytinck, Kabar; Tahaui, Monteiro, Lebreton, Bischoff; Tadic; Chery, Linssen

Feyenoord possible starting lineup:

Ernst; Read, Watanabe, St Juste, Marmol; Zechiel, Targhalline, Valente; Hadj Moussa, Nacho, Diarra

We say: NEC 3-1 Feyenoord

Despite Feyenoord arriving in Nijmegen on an impressive 18-match unbeaten run across all competitions, their persistent defensive frailties and the sale of Ueda could undermine their domestic ambitions.

Backed by a passionate home crowd and a lethal forward line capable of punishing any lapses in concentration, the hosts have the necessary ruthlessness to outscore and leapfrog their Rotterdam opponents in the table.

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