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

Separated by six places in the Eredivisie table, relegation-threatened Telstar host Sparta Rotterdam in Wednesday’s gameweek 31 fixture at BUKO Stadion, aiming to move temporarily out of their precarious position.

With the third-bottom outfit playing before SBV Excelsior and FC Volendam, the White Lions could climb out of the relegation playoff spot if they defeat their Europe-chasing visitors from Rotterdam in the midweek round.

Match preview

When Telstar defeated PSV Eindhoven 3-1 towards the end of March, many supporters would have been forgiven for thinking the turnaround they desired had finally arrived.

That 3-1 success over Peter Bosz’s men marked the White Lions’ second in three league games, lifting them outside the dreaded bottom two spots, which guarantee relegation, and away from the playoff place.

However, a 2-0 home loss to Groningen and a 4-1 thrashing by FC Utrecht have dampened the mood in North Holland, with Anthony Correia’s team occupying the playoff spot with four games remaining.

While their position is undeniably precarious, Telstar’s top-flight status is in their own hands, as they are one point behind Volendam and Excelsior, who are both tied on 28 points, although they will be wary of NAC Breda behind them on 25.

Yet, Correia’s men can draw some optimism from having won two of their last three league fixtures at BUKO Stadion, accounting for six of the 14 points they have earned in front of their supporters.

Another success would take them out of the bottom three and invariably put pressure on all three sides around them to secure positive results in the 31st round — NAC host Ajax, Excelsior welcome Utrecht and Volendam travel to bottom-placed Heracles.

It will be interesting to see if Sparta can avoid a first defeat against Telstar since 2014 as the Rotterdam visitors seek to boost their continental hopes.

Currently 10th in the table, Maurice Steijn’s side could rise as high as seventh on Wednesday if they record their 13th Eredivisie victory of the campaign.

While the visitors’ historical advantage of winning five of the last six meetings, including a 1-0 success in the reverse fixture, makes them favourites, closer inspection suggests the game could be tighter than that pre-match expectation.

Sparta may be the division’s joint-sixth best travellers, but De Kasteelheren have gone winless in five trips on the spin, taking just two points from an available 15.

That ongoing run followed a four-game winning streak on the road, with three at Volendam (1-0), Feyenoord (4-3) and Utrecht (1-0) coming in the top flight, and they enter Wednesday’s fixture after firing blanks in consecutive away games at Ajax, where they lost 4-0, and second-bottom NAC, against whom they played out a goalless draw.

Telstar Eredivisie form:

Telstar form (all competitions):

Sparta Rotterdam Eredivisie form:

Team News

Nokkvi Thorisson has not featured for Telstar since early April, but they will assess his chances of playing against his parent club before the midweek fixture.

With two goals apiece, Patrick Brouwer and Jochem Ritmeester van de Kamp have contributed four of the six goals the White Lions have scored in wins over NAC and PSV, and both players will aim to play decisive roles on Wednesday.

Van de Kamp has scored five of his seven Eredivisie goals at BUKO Stadion, accounting for 71.4% of his overall tally, and he will look to improve on that against the visitors from Rotterdam.

Tobias Lauritsen enters the 31st round on 12 goals for the season, with five scored away from home, but the towering frontman has found the net just once in eight league appearances, failing to add to his away tally since early February.

Shunsuke Mito, though, has found the net in the Castle Lords’ last two away wins, in the Rotterdam derby at De Kuip (4-3) and against Utrecht (1-0), though the wide attacker has not scored on the road since January.

Steijn will be without Teo Quintero at centre-back after the defender’s booking against PSV, pointing to a start for Bruno Martins Indi alongside Marvin Young.

Telstar possible starting lineup:

Koeman Jr; Nwankwo, Offerhaus, Bakker; Noslin, Hatenboer, Owusu, Hardveld; Van den Kamp, Brouwer; Van Duijn

Sparta Rotterdam possible starting lineup:

Drommel; Sambo, Young, Martins Indi, Kleijn; Baas, Kitolano; Van Bergen, Van Crooij, Mito; Lauritsen

We say: Telstar 1-1 Sparta Rotterdam

With Telstar fighting for survival and Sparta’s away results having dipped since January, Wednesday’s fixture could develop into a tense and evenly matched affair at BUKO Stadion, where both sides share the spoils.

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