Two sides who have turned a corner in recent weeks clash at the Goffertstadion on Sunday as NEC and Willem II face off in round three of the 2021-22 Eredivisie season.
The teams come into the clash off the back of two consecutive victories just before the international break, and both will be brimming with confidence ahead of this one.
Match preview
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Willem II picked up a second league win in the space of six days as they triumphed over PEC Zwolle in a narrow 1-0 victory on August 28.
Despite being under the cosh for long spells of the game, Gorkem Saglam opened the scoring eight minutes into the second half to hand Fred Grim's men all three points in Tilburg.
The Tricolores have responded superbly to an opening-day defeat against Feyenoord and are now just three points behind current leaders PSV Eindhoven.
Next up for them is a contest versus an opposing side who they have struggled against, failing to win any of the last 12 meetings between the teams since 2008.
Sunday's visitors did not find the back of the net in any of the most recent four clashes but will be confident of ending that barren run, having netted three in their last outings on the road.
NEC Nijmegen edged past Heracles Almelo in a 1-0 win at the Erve Asito on August 29 to record their first victory away from home this term.
Ali Akman was the star of the show as he scored the winner five minutes into the second period to secure a well-deserved three points for Rogier Meijer's men.
The Eniesee are level on points with this weekend's opponents but are a place below due to an inferior goal difference, which is unsurprising given their 5-0 defeat to reigning champions Ajax in the opening round.
Sunday's hosts, who have now recorded back to back clean sheets since then, will aim to maintain their new-found defensive solidity en route to yet another positive result.
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Team News
Rens van Eijden is ruled out with a knee problem and will sit out an eighth game on the bounce dating back to Nijmegen's final league outing of last season.
The home side will also be without the services of 19-year-old Mathias De Wolf, who is without a timetable for his return from a long-term injury.
Since his introduction into the starting XI in Magnus Mattsson's stead, Ali Akman has scored in each of his last two starts and is once again expected to retain his place in the side.
Gorkem Saglam has been directly involved in three of Willem II's four goals this term, and the forward is one to keep an eye on this weekend.
Dries Saddiki is a doubt for the away side after the Moroccan was forced off with a minor injury in the final knockings of his side's last game.
NEC possible starting lineup:
Branderhorst; El Karouani, Odenthal, Marquez, Van Rooij; Schone, Proper, Duelund; Akman, Bruijn, Okita
Willem II possible starting lineup:
Ruiter; Owusu, Jenssen, Heerkens, Kohn; Saglam, Saddiki, Llonch; Kohlert, Okyere Wriedt, Nunnely
We say: NEC 1-1 Willem II
With the sides full of confidence ahead of the clash, we expect an entertaining affair with both teams getting on the scoresheet. We also see the sides being inseparable on the day, giving rise to a share of the spoils in the end.
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 NEC win with a probability of 44.31%. A win for Willem II had a probability of 30.46% and a draw had a probability of 25.2%.
The most likely scoreline for a NEC win was 1-0 with a probability of 9.79%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 2-1 (9.11%) and 2-0 (7.47%). The likeliest Willem II win was 0-1 (7.84%), while for a drawn scoreline it was 1-1 (11.95%). The actual scoreline of 0-0 was predicted with a 6.4% likelihood.
