Feyenoord will be looking to get their first win on the board in the Eredivisie this season when they take on Almere City at De Kuip on Sunday afternoon.
The reigning champions have kicked off their campaign with two draws, leaving them in 12th place, while the visitors are down in 15th, having lost their first two matches.
Match preview
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After winning the Eredivisie title in the 2022-23 campaign, finishing seven points clear of second-placed PSV Eindhoven, Feyenoord have not made the best of starts to the new season, coming up short in the Super Cup.
The Club on the Meuse lost 1-0 against 2022-23 KNVB Beker winners PSV on home soil, with Noa Lang striking late for the visitors, and they have since been held at home against much weaker opposition, in the form of Fortuna Sittard.
On the opening day of the season, Arne Slot's side were unable to get a win on the board at De Kuip, with Bart Nieuwkoop's first-half red card doing them no favours, but they may feel they could have taken more from the game, given that they recorded 22 shots and dominated possession.
Last time out, Feyenoord had the perfect opportunity to kickstart their season in a trip to local rivals Sparta Rotterdam, but they once again looked below par for large periods of the match, only managing to scrape a point after a late fightback earned them a 2-2 draw.
Back on home soil, Slot's side will be eager to get their first win on the board, and they should stand a very good chance of doing so, given that their opponents have only just been promoted to the Eredivisie.
Almere City earned promotion to the top flight for the first time in their history last season, defeating Emmen 4-1 on aggregate in the playoff final, and they are now set to take on Feyenoord in a competitive game for the first time ever.
However, if they are to stand any chance of taking anything from what is sure to be a very tough game, Almere will need to put in a much-improved performance, having lost their first two games in the top flight.
On the opening day, Alex Pastoor's side were brushed aside with ease by established Eredivisie side FC Twente, who romped home to a 4-1 victory, and they have since gone on to lose their first away game of the season.
Away against Fortuna Sittard, Almere City did show some more promising signs, recording a total of five shots on target, but they were ultimately defeated 2-1, meaning they are one of six teams yet to win a game.
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Team News
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Feyenoord goalkeeper Justin Bijlow is missing with a wrist injury, which ruled him out of the last game, meaning Timon Wellenreuther is set to keep his place between the sticks.
Long-term absentees Timo Zaal and Patrik Walemark continue to miss out, while new signing Ondrej Lingr is carrying a knock, which means he is unlikely to make his debut for the club.
As for Almere City, winger Kornelius Hansen is still absent, meaning Rajiv van La Parra and Anthony Limbombe are set to keep their places on the flanks, playing provider for striker Thomas Robinet, who is already off the mark this season.
Faiz Mattoir is the only other player unavailable for Almere, with the 23-year-old set to miss out with a knee injury.
In their last match away at Fortuna Sittard, the Black Sheep implemented a more defensive 4-2-3-1 formation, having played a 4-3-3 on the opening day of the season, so it would not be a surprise to see Pastoor adopt a similar, more conservative approach this weekend.
Feyenoord possible starting lineup:
Wellenreuther; Geertruida, Beelen, Hancko, Hartman; Wieffer, Timber, Sauer, Stengs, Paixao; Gimenez
Almere City possible starting lineup:
Bakker; Akujobi, Jacobs, Barbet, Floranus; Pena, Koopmeiners, Van La Parra, Duijvestijn, Limbombe; Robinet
We say: Feyenoord 3-0 Almere City
Feyenoord have not made the best of starts to the campaign, failing to win any of their first three competitive games, and they will be eager to make things right against Almere City.
The reigning Eredivisie champions should have far too much quality for a newly-promoted side to deal with, and we expect the hosts to record a comfortable victory.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Dominic Lund
