Go Ahead Eagles and Fortuna Sittard will both aim to build on positive starts to their domestic campaign on Friday, when they do battle at De Adelaarshorst.
After five league outings, the visitors sit fifth in the Eredivisie table with nine points on the board, while their hosts are just two worse off in seventh spot having played a game fewer.
Match preview
After their 11th-placed finish last time around, Go Ahead Eagles headed into their third consecutive Eredivisie season with the hope of continued improvement, and they have enjoyed a positive start thus far, boasting seven points from their opening four outings having already scored nine goals on the way albeit conceding the same number too.
Their current position in seventh place is despite an opening-day defeat, in which they were thrashed 5-1 away at AZ Alkmaar with Philippe Rommens's second-half goal nothing more than a consolation, as they quickly rebounded and put their first points on the board in a 4-1 beating of FC Volendam on home turf.
Bas Kuipers, Oliver Valaker Edvardsen and Willum Thor Willumsson had the pride of the IJssel 3-0 up heading into the break, and despite being reduced to 10 men late in the first half, they still prevailed comfortably with Rommens adding a fourth, before Rene Hake's side made it back-to-back triumphs with a 3-2 beating of Heerenveen, with Kuipers and Rommens again on the scoresheet to put their side two goals to the good by the 40th minute.
The lead would be halved before the break by Charlie Webster, but Sylla Sow restored their cushion around the hour mark before Go Ahead Eagles held on for the one-goal triumph after Osame Sahraoui's late finish, with Hake's men now finding themselves seventh on the back of a 1-1 draw away at PEC Zwolle thanks to Edvardsen's leveller, after they were again reduced to 10 men with Jamal Amofa sent off in the 47th minute.
Now with seven points on the board having played a game fewer than most sides around them, the pride of the IJssel will aim to continue their unbeaten streak on Friday to further improve their standing at the top end of the Eredivisie at this early stage, with the chance to leapfrog their opponents while keeping a game in hand if they manage a three-point haul.
They take on a Fortuna Sittard side who will instead seek to extend that gap and build on their own positive start to the campaign with another win to, at least briefly, take them into the top four.
After finishing 13th in the Eredivisie last season, two places and four points worse off than Friday's hosts, Fortunezen made a change over the summer as Julio Velazquez was replaced by new manager Danny Buijs, and he has certainly overseen an exciting start, with the side sat fifth after five outings with an unbeaten record and nine points on the board.
Following a commendable draw away at defending champions Feyenoord on the opening day, the Sittard outfit quickly scored their first three-point haul by beating Almere City 2-1 on home turf, courtesy of Rosier Loreintz's finish and an early Hamdi Akujobi own goal, before twice coming from behind to take a point from a 2-2 draw away at Excelsior thanks to levellers from Deroy Duarte and Mouhamed Belkheir.
Another impressive draw followed, as Buijs's men held Dutch giants Ajax to a goalless stalemate before the recent international break, and they now head into the weekend on the back of a return to winning ways on their return to league action last time out, having come from behind to beat Volendam 3-1 on Saturday, with Oguzhan Ozyakup levelling on the hour mark and Tijjani Noslin putting them ahead seven minutes later, before Alen Halilovic wrapped up the three points late on.
Now full of confidence from their start, which leaves Fortunezen fifth in the Eredivisie, albeit having played a game more than the top three and their seventh-placed visitors, Fortuna Sittard will be keen to extend their unbeaten run with another victory which would see them crack the top four, at least until the remainder of the Eredivisie's weekend fixtures.
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Team News
Go Ahead Eagles will be unable to call on defender Jamal Amofa on Friday, as he will serve a suspension after being sent off in their draw with PEC Zwolle last time out, and Gerrit Nauber should come in to fill the gap alongside Joris Kramer at the heart of the back four from the outset.
They will, however, welcome winger Bobby Adekanye back to contention after his suspension, and he will hope to displace Jakob Breum and retake his spot on the right flank, as will Sylla Sow, while Oliver Valaker Edvardsen is a key man on the other wing having contributed two goals in their four Eredivisie outings so far this term after hitting seven in the top flight last time around.
In the ongoing absence of Finn Stokkers, Victor Edvardsen should again lead the line, while Philippe Rommens has contributed two league goals so far this campaign and will again offer further attacking support from the base of midfield alongside Evert Linthorst.
Following their 3-1 victory last time out, Danny Buijs may look to deploy an unchanged Fortuna Sittard starting XI on Friday, although Oguzhan Ozyakup does have a claim to come in from the start in midfield, after netting their first goal in that match off the bench.
In their preferred 4-2-3-1 shape, Mouhamed Belkheir and Kaj Sierhuis will battle to lead the line, while Tijjani Noslin and Alen Halilovic will keep their places in a supporting trio behind the lone frontman after their goals against Volendam, likely being joined again by winger Inigo Cordoba.
Deroy Duarte is a key man and will again feature in the engine room, while Dimitrios Siovas and Rodrigo Guth will continue their partnership in the middle of the back four.
Go Ahead Eagles possible starting lineup:
De Lange; Deijl, Nauber, Kramer, Kuipers; Rommens, Linthorst; Adekanye, Willumsson, O Edvardsen; V Edvardsen
Fortuna Sittard possible starting lineup:
Pandur; Pinto, Siovas, Guth, Dijks; Duarte, Ozyakup; Cordoba, Halilovic, Noslin; Belkheir
We say: Go Ahead Eagles 1-1 Fortuna Sittard
Both sides have enjoyed fine starts to the season and will be keen to extend positive runs, and while Fortuna Sittard may come in with slightly more momentum and a two-point lead, we do not see Go Ahead Eagles losing on home turf and instead opt for a share of the spoils.
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