Preview: Heerenveen vs. ADO Den Haag - prediction, team news, lineups

Having won only one league game since the turn of the year, ADO Den Haag travel to the Abe Lenstra Stadion for their meeting with Heerenveen on Saturday.

The home side have also found league victories hard to come by this calendar year as they have managed to pick up just two from their 10 matches to date.

Match preview

Heerenveen were outclassed by PEC Zwolle, who came out on top in a 4-1 rout when the teams met at the MAC³PARK stadium on Friday.

Johnny Jansen's men were seemingly on their way to victory as they took the lead inside the opening 30 minutes through Mitchell van Bergen's third goal of the campaign.

That lead was preserved until half time before a horrendous display in the second half denied them all three points once again on their travels.

The Blauwvingers have slipped to 10th place in the Eredivisie table as a result of that loss but unlike their visitors, they are not faced with any immediate danger of relegation.

However, Saturday's hosts suffered the heartbreak of losing their KNVB-Beker semi-final to Ajax on Wednesday, leaving them with no other realistic source of silverware this season.

ADO Den Haag were involved in a share of the spoils for the second game running, playing out a goalless draw versus RKC Waalwijk last time out.

In a game where clear-cut chances were few and far between, neither team really looked like scoring, so it was no surprise to see the clash pan out the way it did.

The match was an opportunity for both sides to steal a march on the teams around them in the battle for survival, but neither side was able to capitalise.

Ruud Brood's men are currently seven points from safety, and they need to start racking up wins if they want to extend their 12-year stay in the top tier of Dutch football.

Heerenveen Eredivisie form: WDWLDL
Heerenveen form (all competitions): WLWDLL

ADO Den Haag Eredivisie form: LDDLDD

Team News

Tomislav Gomelt was sent off in Den Haag's draw against Willem II two Wednesdays ago, and he will serve the second of his three-game ban in this one.

The away side will have to deal with the absence of Peet Bijen, who pulled up in his side's KNVB-Beker triumph over Sparta Rotterdam in October.

Daryl Janmaat is also ruled out with a knee injury, but he is not far off a return to action after spending the last two months on the sidelines.

Ulysses Llanez is the home team's only absentee for the game as he works his way back to full fitness after he was recently sidelined with a muscle strain.

Heerenveen possible starting lineup:
Mulder; Kaib, Bochniewicz, Dresevic, Floranus; Veerman, Halilovic, De Jong; Nygren, Van Bergen, Veerman

ADO Den Haag possible starting lineup:
Koopman; Familio-Castillo, Kemper, Del Fabro, Van Ewijk; Pinas, Vejinovic, Pinas; Bourard, Kramer, Besuijen

We say: Heerenveen 1-1 ADO Den Haag

Four of the last five meetings between the sides have ended in a draw, and given the relatively similar form they they both carry into this, we are backing another share of the spoils.