Predictions for the 13th round of the Eredivisie, November 22-23
NAC Breda – PSV
Club football is back, and in the Netherlands, the first match will take place in the city of Breda, where the local NAC will host the league leader – PSV. NAC always tries to put up a fight at home – 10 out of their 12 points have been earned on their home turf. PSV has title ambitions, but they are facing personnel issues in attack, although this hasn't stopped them from being the top scorers in the league. Despite this, PSV has squad depth and will try to control the game. The logic is simple: the hosts will fight, especially in every tackle, while the visitors will cleverly exploit the opponent's weaknesses and put a couple of goals past NAC.
Match Prediction for NAC Breda vs PSV: Away team total over 2.5
Volendam – Twente
Volendam remains a mid-table team still vying for a top-8 spot and plays openly at home. Twente arrives with the task of holding onto that coveted eighth place, which requires securing three points. Volendam is indeed strong at home, having earned 11 out of their 13 points on their own ground, showcasing good football in front of their fans. However, Twente is also notably strong away. It seems we are in for an end-to-end game.
Match Prediction for Volendam vs Twente: Both teams to score
Ajax – Excelsior
Ajax at home is always a team that dictates the pace: lots of possession, fast flanks, and attempts to break down the defense not through simple pressure but through combination play. However, this has recently yielded no results. The club has yet to find a new head coach following Heitinga's dismissal. Therefore, interim manager Grim is at the helm, under whom the team lost away to Utrecht in the last round. Perhaps Excelsior will be the team that Ajax finally defeats. The visitors are in 16th place and have conceded 16 goals in six away matches, more than two per game. It seems Ajax has every chance for a long-awaited victory, even with the current issues the club is facing.
Match Prediction for Ajax vs Excelsior: Home win with a handicap (-1)
Sparta Rotterdam – Fortuna Sittard
A match between two neighbors in the standings. Sparta hosts Fortuna. Both teams have 16 points from 12 rounds and occupy the 10th and 11th places, respectively. Sparta does not perform well at home, having earned only seven points in six matches, conceding 14 goals and scoring just six. Fortuna also disappoints away, with only three points from six matches, conceding 14 and scoring eight. By all accounts, this is a match between two evenly matched opponents, with bookmakers slightly favoring the hosts. However, it seems the visitors might also manage to get a result.
Prediction for the match Sparta Rotterdam vs Fortuna Sittard: both teams to score
Heracles – Go Ahead Eagles
It seems that the international break affected Heracles the most. The team had just started to rise and secured three consecutive victories – one in the cup and two in the league. They defeated Zwolle on their home ground with a score of 8:2. Then, they achieved an away victory against Excelsior (2:1). Now, after almost a two-week break, they have to play at home against Go Ahead Eagles, who are aiming for the top-8 and defeated Feyenoord before the international break. This will be a very tough match for Heracles, as they will face a motivated opponent.
Prediction for the match Heracles vs Go Ahead Eagles: the visitors will not lose
Heerenveen – AZ
AZ could have moved closer to second place before the international break, but they lost to PSV at home with a score of 5:1. However, the gap from the second spot remained at four points since Feyenoord also lost. It seems that the break was beneficial for AZ, as the team lost two matches in a row and it was evident that the players were very tired and needed rest. Now, fresh and rested players are back on the field. However, it will be quite challenging against Heerenveen, although AZ can play well away from home.
Prediction for the match Heerenveen vs AZ: away win with a handicap (0)
Telstar – Utrecht
Utrecht is increasingly making a name for itself as a team striving for fourth place. They are just one point behind Ajax and secured a victory against the Amsterdam team before the international break. It seems that Utrecht hasn't forgotten the taste of important victories and understands well that Telstar, despite their position in the table, is ready to fight on their home ground. This is a very difficult match to predict because the form of both teams is unclear. Utrecht is simply terrible away, so there is a feeling that Telstar might find their goal. Given that the visitors remain favorites in this encounter, their goal could also happen.
Prediction for the match Telstar vs Utrecht: both teams to score
Feyenoord – NEC Nijmegen
Feyenoord sensationally lost before the international break. This was the team's second defeat, and out of the last five matches, they have lost three. The break was much needed for the Rotterdam team, who found themselves in a slump. Surely, this pause helped the team to take a breath, gather their thoughts, and work on their mistakes. NEC, despite their position in the table, is still not the team that could challenge Feyenoord on their home turf.
Prediction for the match Feyenoord vs NEC Nijmegen: home win with a handicap (-1)
Groningen – PEC Zwolle
Zwolle managed to recover from a crushing 8-2 defeat by league underdog Heracles. Before the international break, the team secured a 1-0 home victory over Sparta. At the very least, they managed to alleviate the bitterness of the defeat and head into the break in good spirits. However, Groningen couldn't go into the break with such a mood, having lost three of their last five matches and drawing once. Just one victory, but it allowed the team to remain in sixth place with 19 points. There is every opportunity to climb to the fourth spot after a win over Zwolle. And it seems that Groningen will be doing everything in their power to secure three points.
