Our football pundit previews the Dutch Eredivisie action which kicks off on Saturday 9 September 2017.
Three rounds of Eredivisie fixtures have come and to be honest there are no prizes for guessing who’s already leading the title race. Last season’s champions, Feyenoord top the standings with an immaculate record of three wins in three games. Hot on their heels is PSV Eindhoven who have collected an equal amount of points but are placed second due to inferior goal difference.
Four teams, namely FC Twente, Roda, ADO Den Haag and Willem II have lost all their opening three fixtures. This is an easier league to predict and after having a look at the fixtures I can tell you that there’s plenty value in here. Let’s take a look at my predictions.
Saturday 9 September
Willem II 11/10 | Draw 24/10 | ADO Den Haag 47/20
Eredivisie whipping boys, Willem II do battle against fellow strugglers and this clash could prove crucial in the relegation dogfight. After finishing 13th last season, Willem have lost all three matches that they’ve played in the current campaign and they’re rooted to the foot of the table. What a disastrous start!
Den Haag are enduring a terrible start as well with three consecutive defeats so far this season. They finished 11th last season and they are currently only second from the bottom due to better goal difference than their opponents. Den Haag have a slight superiority and I’m expecting them to win.
Heracles 5/1 | Draw 36/10 | Feyenoord 9/20
Heracles remain undefeated in the current campaign with two draws and one win. They lie 10th on the standings and this will be their sternest test against the log leaders. Heracles finished in 10th place last season and their performances against Ajax, Herrenveen and Excelsior in the current campaign suggest they’re on the cusp of resurgence.
Feyenoord want to defend their title and their immaculate start must be a serious warning to the challengers. They top the log with nine points after winning their opening three matches, scoring a whopping eight goals in the process, a bulk of which came in their 5-0 demolition of Willem II in the previous round. Feyenoord will be too strong for the visitors and I’m backing them to win.
Ajax 2/9 | Draw 52/10 | PEC Zwolle 9/1
Last season’s runners up, Ajax are on the right track as we speak. They bounced back from their season opener’s shock defeat at the hands of Heracles by recording back-to-back wins. They find themselves in 6th position at this stage of the season.
Zwolle have started well, managing two wins and a draw ever since the season kicked off. Even though it is probably something they can’t sustain for long, being in third place is more than enough to boost their morale. Put your money on Ajax to narrowly edge Zwolle out.
Excelsior 22/10 | Draw 49/20 | Vitesse 23/20
Excelsior are blowing hot and cold with a bag of mixed results being the story of their start to the season. They have drawn one, won one and lost one so far. Their defeat understandably came aginst the log leaders and current defending champions, Feyenoord. They are a team that can hold their own against other teams on their level.
Vitesse finished 5th last season and their relatively good start to the current campaign will give them an opportunity to contend for the title or at least UEFA Champions League places. They currently lie fourth with two wins and one defeat. I think Vitesse will win this one.
Sunday 10 September
Heerenveen 17/4 | Draw 34/10 | PSV Eindhoven 11/20
The fallen giants of Dutch football, as I like to call Heerenveen have started their season modestly with one win and two draws but that’s not a shocker considering their performances in recent years. Being unbeaten can be more than enough to embolden them to gun for higher positions this season.
Alongside the defending champions, PSV are one of two teams that have won all three of their opening matches. Has the FIFA break tampered with their momentum? That remains to be seen. PSV have scored a massive nine goals and conceded three this season. This will be a tricky encounter but the visitors should triumph in the end.
Utrecht 7/20 | Draw 38/10 | Roda 7/1
Utrecht’s resurgence over the past couple of seasons looks like something they are thriving to maintain. They finished fourth last season and they are currently 5th with two victories in their first three matches. Playing against a side that has lost all their matches this season presents a golden opportunity for them to occupy higher positions on the table.
Roda are once again in trouble as they have lost their opening three matches. Last season they managed to avoid relegation by a whisker after finishing 17th and it looks like their poor performances will continue unless something drastic happens. I say Utrecht win this one comfortably.
Sparta Rotterdam 12/10 | Draw 49/20 | FC Twente 21/10
We’ve got another bottom-of-the-table clash on the menu this Sunday. Sparta are winless this season with one defeat and two draws. They currently occupy 13th place and they’re playing a team below them which should give them a perfect opportunity to steer clear of relegation.
Losing Kamohelo “De Generaal” Mokotjo to English Championship side, Brentford FC must have dealt FC Twente a terrible blow. They are currently 15th on the log, having lost their opening three games. This will be a cagey affair and I’d advise you to take Sparta on the Win/Draw Double Chance at 7/20.
AZ Alkmaar 7/20 | Draw 17/4 | Breda 13/2
AZ last won the league title in 2009 under the tutelage of Louis van Gaal and ever since his departure they’ve never been the same. Last season they finished sixth and two wins in their first three games this season isn’t a bad return.
Breda are languishing in 14th place with one draw and two defeats and judging by their performances they will be involved in the relegation dogfight. They have conceded a staggering 10 goals and found the back of the net on four occasions. AZ should be too strong and they are likely to win this one comfortably.
FC Groningen 19/20 | Draw 5/2| VVV-Venlo 26/10
Groningen have found themselves on the wrong end of the table after recording all sorts of results. They have registered one draw, one victory and one defeat since the start of the new season. Scoring six and conceding seven goals show you that they do have the necessary firepower upfront but they’re defensively shoddy.
On the other hand, Venlo started their season like a house on fire, enjoying two wins on the trot before suffering a 2-0 loss against Ajax in the previous round. They currently lie 8th with six points, five goals scored and three goals conceded. I’m backing a draw here.
TREBLE @ 9/1
Feyenoord Win 9/20
Vitesse Win 23/20
ADO Den Haag Win 47/20
