Vitesse square off against Sparta Rotterdam on Friday evening realistically requiring all three points if they want to remain in the hunt for second position.
Meanwhile, the home side have recorded two successive victories in the Eredivisie, helping them move into ninth spot in the standings.
Match preview
© Reuters
Despite the added distraction of the KNVB Beker, Vitesse have managed to put together an eight-match unbeaten streak in the Dutch top flight.
They had been on the brink of recording their third successive draw against PEC Zwolle before Idrissa Toure netted a last-minute winner.
With just three games remaining, overtaking both PSV Eindhoven and AZ Alkmaar may be out of their reach, but Thomas Letsch will want to ensure that fourth spot is secured as soon as possible.
Two wins from three matches will achieve that target, and Letsch will want those six points to be achieved against Sparta and Fortuna Sittard, with Ajax to come on the final day.
Chelsea loanee Armando Broja netted his 10th goal of the season against Zwolle, ending a two-month wait for another strike in the Eredivisie.
For the first nine weeks of 2021, it appeared that Sparta were on course to be dragged back into a relegation battle ahead of the run-in.
However, five victories from seven matches have ended that threat, and Henk Fraser's side now have eyes on seventh-placed Groningen.
Like with their visitors, having just three matches to overturn a big deficit makes things difficult, but Fraser will believe that Sparta can record maximum points from their closing triple-header.
Top goalscorer Lennart Thy has scored just three goals in 15 outings, with his current drought lasting three fixtures.
- W
- D
- W
- L
- W
- W
- W
- D
- W
- D
- D
- W
- D
- W
- D
- L
- D
- W
Team News
Fraser will give consideration to naming the same Sparta XI after their excellent performance at Groningen.
Deroy Duarte is an alternative in a creative role, but Fraser is expected to stick with Bryan Smeets.
While Letsch switched from a back three during the second half against Zwolle, he will likely stick with a 3-5-2 formation for this game.
Lois Openda and Oussama Darfalou, both with eight goals this season, are competing for one spot alongside Broja in attack.
Despite netting the decisive goal in the most recent fixture, Toure is expected to stay on the substitutes' bench.
Sparta Rotterdam possible starting lineup:
Okoye; Abels, Beugelsdijk, Auassar, Meijers; Harroui, Duarte; Mijnans, Smeets, Engels; Thy
Vitesse possible starting lineup:
Pasveer; Doekhi, Cornelisse, Hajek; Oroz, Bruns, Tannane, Bero, Manhoef; Broja, Openda
We say: Sparta Rotterdam 1-2 Vitesse
With both clubs enjoying a positive period, we expect a competitive encounter to play out at Sparta Stadion Het Kasteel.
However, we are backing the visitors to edge their way to a hard-fought win, potentially securing fourth place in the process.
Top tip
Data Analysis
Our analysis of all available data, including recent performances and player stats up until an hour before kickoff, suggested the most likely outcome of this match was a Vitesse win with a probability of 38.82%. A win for Sparta Rotterdam had a probability of 36.78% and a draw had a probability of 24.4%.
The most likely scoreline for a Vitesse win was 1-2 with a probability of 8.53%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 0-1 (7.71%) and 0-2 (5.82%). The likeliest Sparta Rotterdam win was 2-1 (8.27%), while for a drawn scoreline it was 1-1 (11.29%). The actual scoreline of 3-0 was predicted with a 2.7% likelihood.
