Preview:Heerenveen vs. Vitesse - prediction, team news, lineups

In search of a fourth away win on the spin across all competitions, Vitesse travel to the Abe Lenstra Stadion to face off against Heerenveen on Saturday.

The hosts, on the other hand, head into the game off the back of consecutive league defeats and will be looking to get back to winning ways.

Match preview

Vitesse were beaten at home for the fourth time in six games this term following a 2-1 defeat to newly-promoted Go Ahead Eagles at the GelreDome on Sunday.

Thomas Letsch's men took the lead in the third minute thanks to Lois Openda's penalty before second-half goals from Inigo Cordoba and Luuk Brouwers turned the game on its head.

Consequently, Vitas remain sixth in the Eredivisie table but have now fallen nine points behind early pacesetters Ajax at the top of the standings.

Next up for the Arnhem-based club is a trip to a ground where they have won only two of their last nine matches dating back to 2015.

Ahead of a crunch Conference League tie versus Tottenham Hotspur five days later, Saturday's visitors set out to pick up a morale-boosting victory this weekend.

Heerenveen's downward spiral continues following a fourth league loss in five outings on Saturday when they were defeated 2-1 by FC Utrecht.

Johnny Jansen's men fell behind to Moussa Sylla's 21st-minute opener before drawing level thanks to Willem Janssen's own goal, only for Sander van de Streek to decide the game 10 minutes from time.

As a result, De Superfriezen have now dropped down to ninth place in the Eredivisie table but are just two points off the last European spot.

However, Saturday's hosts secured passage into the next round of the KNVB-Beker on Wednesday courtesy of a 2-1 win over Amsterdam FC.

Team News

Pawel Bochniewicz remains unavailable owing to a knee injury, while first-choice goalkeeper Erwin Mulder remain sidelined through a finger injury.

An ankle injury has seen Lucas Woudenberg miss the last three games and the Dutchman is expected to miss this weekend's contest.

Twenty-year-old Daan Reiziger still awaits his first outing of the campaign as he continues to battle with a shoulder problem.

Vitesse's Riechedly Bazoer is set to return to the starting lineup for this one after serving a one-game suspension last time out.

Heerenveen possible starting lineup:

Mous; Dresevic, Bakker, Kaib, Van Ewijk; J.Veerman, Halilovic, Kongolo; De Jong, H.Veerman, Musaba

Vitesse possible starting lineup:

Schubert; Doekhi, Bazoer, Rasmussen; Yapi, Tronstad, Gboho, Bero, Dasa; Openda, Darfalou

We say: Heerenveen 1-2 Vitesse

Despite struggling in this fixture of late, Vitesse are still the favourites to emerge victorious, and while we expect the home side to put up a good fight, we are also tipping the visitors to carry the day come the full-time whistle.