Preview:RKC Waalwijk vs. Sparta Rotterdam - prediction, team news, lineups

Two teams in dire need of a victory go head to head at the Mandemakers Stadion on Saturday as RKC Waalwijk entertain the challenge of Sparta Rotterdam.

The hosts are currently on a six-game winless run, while their visitors have won just one of their last six matches leading up to this weekend's clash.

Match preview

Waalwijk were on the receiving end of a 4-1 defeat against Ajax when the teams went head-to-head at the Johan Cruyff ArenA on Sunday evening.

Two goals from Brian Brobbey either side of Michiel Kramer's leveller saw Henk Fraser's men go into the break 2-1 down, after which second-half goals from Kristian Hlynsson and Steven Berghuis sealed the deal.

As a result, RKC remain 16th in the Eredivisie table but are now five points adrift in the battle for survival just past the midway point of the season.

Coming up next is the challenge of an opposing outfit who are without a defeat in the last five editions of this fixture since December 2021.

Having been beaten in four of their most recent five home encounters, Saturday's hosts will need to turn things around on home turf to stand a good chance of beating the drop.

Sparta Rotterdam fell to a disappointing 2-0 defeat against Go Ahead Eagles in Sunday's encounter at the Sparta Stadion Het Kasteel.

Jeroen Rijsdijk's men trailed to Willum Thor Willumsson's early opener after which Victor Edvardsen put the result beyond doubt in the early exchanges of the second half.

With 25 points picked up from 18 matches so far, De Kasteelheren sit eighth in the standings, a whopping five points clear of the chasing pack in the race for the final European spot.

Currently on a run of four wins in six away matches leading up to Saturday's contest, the visitors will be keen to continue their recent upturn in form on the road.

Team News

Sparta Rotterdam's Koki Saito is currently sidelined with a thigh problem, which has seen him fail to feature since the final week of September.

Camiel Neghli has missed each of the visitors' last three matches with a knock, and the forward remains a major doubt for this weekend's contest.

Michiel Kramer has found the back of the net in four of his last five matches for Waalwijk, making the Dutchman one to keep an eye on here.

Yassine Oukili will be expected to retain his place in the hosts' starting lineup having made his return from a one-game suspension last time out.

RKC Waalwijk possible starting lineup: Vaessen; Meijers, Van den Buijs, Adewoye, Gaari, Lelieveld; Seuntjens, Roemeratoe, Oukili, Cleonise; Kramer

Sparta Rotterdam possible starting lineup: Olij; Bakari, Meissen, Velthuis, Van der Kust; Verschueren, De Guzman, Kitolano; Mito, Lauritsen, Brym

We say: RKC Waalwijk 1-1 Sparta Rotterdam

Both teams are currently low on confidence heading into this one, and we expect a nervy and cagey affair. We are also backing a share of the spoils with honours even at the end of the 90 minutes.

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