Preview: Heerenveen vs. FC Utrecht

Sports Mole previews Sunday’s Eredivisie clash between Heerenveen and FC Utrecht, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.

Aiming to prevent their winless run from extending to five matches in the league, Heerenveen will welcome FC Utrecht to Abe Lenstra Stadion on Sunday evening for an Eredivisie clash.

De Superfriezen shared the spoils with Champions League-chasing FC Twente last time out, whereas the Cathedral Citizens were handsome victors over PEC Zwolle.

Match preview
© Reuters

Heerenveen have now endured four-straight Eredivisie matches without success following a draw against Twente on Wednesday night at Abe Lenstra Stadion, where the hosts and the Tukkers shared the points at the conclusion of a six-goal thriller, with the visitors letting a two-goal lead slip.

During a barnstorming opening 36 minutes, the division’s third-placed side raced to a 3-1 advantage courtesy of strikes from Ricky van Wolfswinkel, Daan Rots and Robin Propper, but De Superfriezen were not ready to lay down and die, with goals from Osame Sahraoui and Thom Haye completing a comeback.

Having finished eighth in back-to-back campaigns, Heerenveen face a massive task in achieving that particular feat once again in 2023-24, with Sunday’s hosts currently occupying 11th in the Eredivisie standings, sitting six points behind eighth-placed Utrecht with only six matches left to play.

Key to the majority of De Superfriezen’s league victories in recent times has been the goalscoring antics of 28-year-old Pelle van Amersfoort, who has found the net in each of the last four Eredivisie wins for his side, bagging a brace in the 4-0 victory over relegation-threatened Volendam on February 25.

Following a 4-2 defeat at Eredivisie holders Feyenoord to end a relatively-positive March on a sour note, Utrecht returned to winning ways during their maiden match of April on Wednesday night, producing a five-star performance to down a PEC Zwolle side sliding towards the bottom three.

After a goalless first period in which neither Vasilios Barkas nor Jasper Schendelaar were breached, the Cathedrals Citizens clicked into gear and blew their visitors away, with a brace from Isac Lidberg – alongside goals from Jens Toornstra, Sam Lammers and Englishman Adrian Blake – sealing a 5-1 victory.

Having collected six points from their last three Eredivisie matches spread out either side of March’s international break, Ron Jans’s men are in a good position to secure a top-eight finish as the season enters its business end, with Utrecht two points ahead of ninth-placed Sparta Rotterdam.

The Cathedral Citizens have a stellar recent record at Abe Lenstra Stadion, winning on their last three visits to the home of Heerenveen including a friendly in July 2022, with strikes from Anastasios Douvikas and Modibo Sagnan securing a 2-1 victory for the visitors in this fixture last season.

Heerenveen Eredivisie form:

FC Utrecht Eredivisie form:

Team News
Yet to return to action following his involvement over the international break with Iraq, it is unknown whether Hussein Ali will feature on Sunday night for Heerenveen.

De Superfriezen could opt to start some of the players who inspired a second-half comeback last time out, meaning that the likes of Van Amersfoort and Patrik Walemark might be promoted from the bench.

Swedish marksman Lidberg is a possible starter for Utrecht after netting a second-period brace during his cameo versus Zwolle, with Oscar Fraulo also pushing hard for a place in the XI following his two assists.

There could be an alteration at right-back for the Cathedral Citizens, with 34-year-old Mark van der Maarel preparing to take over from Niklas Vesterlund in defence.

The visitors remain without the services of Tim Handwerker, with the German sidelined until November due to a serious cruciate ligament injury.

Heerenveen possible starting lineup:
Van der Hart; Braude, Van Beek, Bochniewicz, Kohlert; Haye, Olsson; Walemark, Van Ee, Sahraoui; Van Amersfoort

FC Utrecht possible starting lineup:
Barkas; Van der Maarel, Van der Hoorn, Viergever, Elkarouani; Flamingo, Fraulo, Toornstra, Jensen, Lidberg; Lammers

We say: Heerenveen 1-2 FC Utrecht
Apart from the 4-2 loss to Arne Slot’s Feyenoord, Utrecht have been in sensational form of late and should be confident of further cementing their spot in the top eight with three points on Sunday night.

Heerenveen battled back hard to earn a point versus Twente earlier in the week, but we feel that De Superfriezen will be unable to repeat the trick at Abe Lenstra Stadion.

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

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