Groningen and Heerenveen will both be keen to bounce back from respective defeats last time out when they go head to head at Euroborg on Saturday afternoon.
The home side have lost each of their last four matches against this weekend's visitors, who have the opportunity to complete a second straight league double following September's 2-1 victory in the reverse fixture.
Match preview
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For Groningen, the start of a new year has not brought about a change in fortune, as they just about came up short once again in Saturday's encounter against Go Ahead Eagles at De Adelaarshorst.
Off the back of a rare clean sheet against Almere City, Dick Lukkien's men were breached in less than five minutes this time around thanks to Oliver Antman's opener, which was cancelled out just past the half-hour mark by Brynjolfur Willumsson before Milan Smit grabbed the winner in second-half stoppage time.
It is now five points from the last five matches for Trots van het Noorden, who somehow sit 15th in the Eredivisie table and two points clear of relegation danger despite having played one game fewer than the teams currently in the drop zone.
Groningen are set for a crucial run of matches in their battle for survival, with this weekend's matchup against Heerenveen set to be followed by the completion of their outstanding clash against Heracles before a relegation six-pointer against Sparta Rotterdam next Sunday.
Should they get their act together over the next couple of days, Saturday's hosts could be as many as 12 points clear of the dotted line, but similarly, an underwhelming run over the next couple of days could land them in the bottom three when all is said and done.
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Having kicked off 2025 with a thrilling 4-2 triumph over NAC Breda, Heerenveen were sent crashing back down to earth courtesy of a 3-2 cup defeat against Quick Boys on January 16, three days before facing off against Ajax.
Still licking their wounds from an embarrassing KNVB-Beker exit at the hands of lower league opposition, Robin van Persie's men fell to a routine 2-0 loss against a resurgent Ajax outfit in Sunday's contest at the Abe Lenstra Stadion.
Despite going behind to Josip Sutalo's opener in the 20th minute, De Superfriezen remained alive in the clash and continued to push for an equaliser before Chuba Akpom sealed the deal eight minutes from time.
Unlike Groningen, Heerenveen are not in any immediate danger of relegation but are one of four teams in strong contention for eighth place which guarantees a shot at European football via the Conference League playoffs.
While Saturday's visitors have been one of the best teams on home turf this term, their away form has often left a lot to be desired, with just six points from 10 matches during which only eight goals have been scored and a whopping 30 conceded.
Team News
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Frenchman Noam Emeran faces an extended spell on the sidelines due to an Achilles tendon injury, making him a guaranteed absentee for Groningen here.
Forward Mats Seuntjens notched an assist on his full debut for the home side since joining from Castellon and is expected to retain his place in the starting lineup.
Pawel Bochniewicz is currently sidelined with a long-term knee injury that he sustained in the final knockings of November's 1-1 draw against RKC Waalwijk.
Luuk Brouwers remains without an appearance in 2025 due to a muscle problem, and the 26-year-old is unavailable to play any part for the away side here.
Nineteen-year-old Dimitris Rallis could also be set to miss out, having come off with an injury scare less than half an hour into the defeat to Ajax last time out.
Groningen possible starting lineup:
Vaessen; Prins, Blokzijl, Rente, Bacuna; De Jonge, Oosting, Resink; Seuntjens, Willumsson, Valente
Heerenveen possible starting lineup:
Van der Hart; Kohlert, Hopland, Kersten, Ali; Van Ee, Conde; Jahanbakhsh, Smans, Trenskow; Sebaoui
We say: Groningen 1-0 Heerenveen
In a game featuring two of the lowest-scoring teams so far, we are expecting a tight and nervy contest with little goalmouth action.
That said, we can see the home side narrowly coming out on top at the end of the 90 minutes.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Adepoju Marvellous
