Preview: NAC Breda vs Sparta Rotterdam - prediction, team news, lineups

Running out of time to avoid relegation, NAC Breda welcome Sparta Rotterdam to the Rat Verlegh Stadion on Sunday evening.

The hosts are currently in the bottom three with six rounds of matches left, while their visitors start this weekend's action outside the European places only on goal difference.

Match preview

Off the back of five consecutive league wins either side of Christmas, Sparta Rotterdam headed into February as the league's most in-form team, and nobody would have expected them to go winless across the next six matches.

Maurice Steijn's side were held by Fortuna Sittard, NEC and PEC Zwolle, either side of defeats to AZ Alkmaar, Heerenveen and Ajax, before returning to winning ways with a 2-0 triumph over Volendam last time out.

Sparta's upcoming clash is arguably their easiest remaining fixture on paper, but the Rotterdam-based side will be wary of underestimating Breda, having won just one of the last five meetings—though that victory was in the most recent encounter back in December's reverse fixture at Het Kasteel.

A win on Sunday could propel De Rood-Witte Gladiatoren as high as sixth in the standings, depending on results elsewhere, and Sparta must address their recent defensive capitulation on the road, which has seen them concede 11 times across their last four away matches.

With a daunting clash against champions-elect PSV Eindhoven looming after this weekend, Sparta risk being left behind by their rivals in the race for continental football if they fail to rise to the occasion over the next fortnight.

Breda’s 15th-place finish in the 2024-25 campaign brought more relief than satisfaction after their return to the top flight, but this season’s struggles have exposed their inability to compete at the highest level of Dutch football.

Following a 2-1 defeat to PEC Zwolle before the international break, Carl Hoefkens’s side have now lost 15 of 28 league matches, winning only five and scoring just 29 goals—both league lows.

With just 23 points on the board, Breda sit 17th in the standings, four points adrift of Telstar, Volendam, and SBV Excelsior, but can take solace from the fact that those three teams still have to play each other.

However, five of Parel van het Zuiden’s final six matches are against sides currently in the top half, meaning they will need to defy the odds repeatedly to pull off a miraculous escape from relegation.

Only Heracles and Volendam have claimed a higher percentage of their points at home than Sunday's hosts (69.5%), so nine points from their final three home fixtures would provide a crucial platform in their quest for survival.

NAC Breda Eredivisie form:

Sparta Rotterdam Eredivisie form:

Sparta Rotterdam form (all competitions):

Team News

Twenty-year-old Moussa Soumano remains sidelined with an ankle injury sustained in mid-February and will not be available for Breda on Sunday.

Leo Greiml is Breda’s only other guaranteed absentee as he serves the final game of a three-match suspension following his red card against Feyenoord.

Mohamed Nassoh ended a 14-game goal drought with his consolation strike against Zwolle last time out and will look to score in back-to-back matches when he faces his former club this weekend.

Now on 11 league goals for the season, Tobias Lauritsen is just two shy of his personal-best tally of 13 for Sparta Rotterdam, achieved in both 2022-23 and 2023-24.

Venezuela international Teo Quintero is ineligible for the visitors, potentially paving the way for Patrick van Aanholt to make a rare start at left-back.

NAC Breda possible starting lineup:

Bielica; Kemper, Hillen, Jensen, Odoi; Leemans, Balard; Nassoh, Paula, Brym; Salama

Sparta Rotterdam possible starting lineup:

Drommel; Van Aanholt, Martins Indi, Young, Martes; Baas, Santos; Van Bergen, Van Crooij, Mito; Lauritsen