Preview: PEC Zwolle vs Feyenoord - prediction, team news, lineups

PEC Zwolle will be desperate to snap a run of 13 consecutive defeats against Feyenoord when the two sides lock horns at the MAC3PARK Stadion in the Eredivisie season finale on Sunday afternoon.

Despite their late-season struggles, the home side are five points clear of the dreaded bottom three and guaranteed survival, while De Stadionclub are set to finish as league runners-up for the second time in three seasons.

Match preview

Having shipped a staggering 11 goals in their previous two games on the road, PEC Zwolle’s away woes continued last Sunday when they fell to a 3-2 defeat against Fortuna Sittard at Fortuna Sittard Stadion.

Lance Duijvestijn, Yassin Oukili and Kaj Sierhuis all hit the target to put Fortuna Sittard in a commanding three-goal lead heading into the final 15 minutes, but the Fortunezen had to see off a late comeback scare after Gabriel Reiziger and Zico Buurmeester hit back for Zwolle.

Henry van der Vegt’s men have now lost three away matches on the bounce and have failed to taste victory in 16 straight league games on their travels, losing 10 and claiming six draws since picking up a 2-0 victory over Telstar at BUKO Stadion back in August.

However, Zwolle have found solace at home amid their away struggles, with the Overijssel outfit currently unbeaten in 11 of their last 12 league matches at the MAC3PARK Stadion, putting together seven wins and four draws since late October.

The Blauwvingers are now set to finish in the bottom half of the table for a third consecutive season since returning to the top flight back in 2023, as they sit 13th in the Eredivisie standings with 37 points from 33 games, five points above 16th-placed Volendam in the relegation playoff spot.

With PSV Eindhoven running away with the league title, Feyenoord can nonetheless reflect positively on another impressive league campaign, having wrapped up qualification for next season’s Champions League after missing out this term.

Off the back of a third-placed finish last year, Robin van Persie’s men have racked up 18 wins and eight draws from their 33 Eredivisie matches to collect 62 points and sit second in the table, four points above third-placed Twente in the UCL playoff spot.

Feyenoord failed to make it three wins on the bounce last Sunday when they played out a 1-1 draw against AZ Alkmaar, with Anis Hadj Moussa cancelling out Troy Parrott’s early opener with a well-executed counter-attack in the 57th minute.

While it was two points dropped, the stalemate against AZ saw De Stadionclub extend their unbeaten run in the league to eight games, a streak that has seen them collect three wins and five draws since a 2-0 defeat against Twente on March 1.

Feyenoord will be backing themselves to close out the season on a high this weekend as they go up against an opposing side who have lost each of their previous 13 meetings across all competitions, a run stretching back to January 2019, when they secured a 3-1 victory at the MAC3PARK Stadion.

PEC Zwolle Eredivisie form:

Feyenoord Eredivisie form:

Team News

PEC Zwolle will take to the pitch without 22-year-old midfielder Samir Lagsir, who continues his long road to full fitness after suffering a severe muscle injury back in October.

Fellow midfielder Shola Shoretire has been ruled out since coming off with a knee injury against Groningen back in March, while goalkeeper Jasper Schendelaar could be named on the bench for a second consecutive game, having recently recovered from a thigh problem.

Meanwhile, Feyenoord remain without several players down the spine of the team as the attacking duo of Shiloh Zand and Shaqueel van Persie have been ruled out due to knee injuries.

South Korean midfielder In-Beom Hwang is set to sit out his seventh consecutive game through an ankle injury, while fellow midfielder Thomas Berlin remains sidelined with a broken leg.

The defensive pair of Malcom Jeng and 30-year-old Bart Nieuwkoop are recuperating from Achilles tendon and muscle injuries respectively, while Polish midfielder Jakub Moder is a major doubt, having missed the last three matches.

Slovakian international Leo Sauer has been out of action since picking up a muscle problem while on international duty against Kosovo back in March, while Bosnian defender Anel Ahmedhodzic has missed the last five matches through injury.

PEC Zwolle possible starting lineup:

De Graaff; Aertssen, Graves, Velthuis, Floranus; Fichtinger, Buurmeester; Velanas, Oosting, De Rooij; Kostons

Feyenoord possible starting lineup:

Wellenreuther; Bos, Watanabe, Trauner, Deijl; Targhalline, Kraaijeveld; Van den Elshout, Valente, Moussa; Ueda

We say: PEC Zwolle 0-3 Feyenoord

The formbook points towards Feyenoord, and with 13 consecutive victories against the home side, the H2H also points towards Van Persie’s men, who we have as clear favourites this weekend.

With 69 goals conceded, Zwolle are one of the poorest defensive sides in the league, and while they are unbeaten in their last five home games, we predict the visitors will exploit their defensive vulnerability and extend their hot streak in this fixture.

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