Preview: Cambuur vs. Fortuna Sittard - prediction, team news, lineups

Seeking to pick up a third successive win for the first time this season, Fortuna Sittard take a trip to Leeuwarden to face Cambuur on Saturday.

The Yellow-Blues, on the other hand, head into the game on a four-game losing streak across all competitions and will be desperate to end this dry spell.

Match preview

Cambuur were left empty handed in the Eredivisie once again as they fell to a 3-1 defeat at the hands of title-chasing Feyenoord at the De Kuip Stadium last Sunday.

After falling behind to Tom Boere's 17th-minute opener, the hosts responded seven minutes later through Luis Sinisterra, and after Orkun Kokcu scored on the stroke of half time to turn the game on its head, Alireza Jahanbakhsh struck four minutes after the break to make sure of the result.

This was a third consecutive league defeat for Henk de Jong's men, who were beaten 3-2 by Utrecht at the Stadion Galgenwaard on February 5 before falling to a 4-3 loss against PEC Zwolle seven days later.

Cambuur have now failed to taste victory in any of their last nine games across all competitions, losing six and claiming three draws since a 3-1 win over Willem II on December 10.

Following a solid performance in the first half of the season, this drop-off in form has been owing to their struggles at the defensive end of the pitch where they boast the division's joint-worst record with 50 goals conceded.

With 30 points from 23 games, Cambuur are currently ninth in the Eredivisie standings, six points off Utrecht in the final Conference League qualification playoff spot.

Meanwhile, Fortuna Sittard head into Saturday's game off the back of picking up two consecutive league wins for the first time this season when they saw off Groningen 1-0 away from home.

In a cagey affair at the Euroborg Stadion, 37-year-old defender Dimitrios Siovas came up trumps for the visitors as he struck the only goal of the game with eight minutes remaining on the clock.

This followed a thrilling 2-0 victory over Heerenveen at the Fortuna Sittard Stadion on February 5, when Zian Flemming scored in both halves to end their run of five games without a win in all competitions.

While they have a game in hand, the Fortunezen are currently 16th in the league table with 19 points from 22 game, two points above rock-bottom PEC Zwolle and two off Willem II in safety.

Like the hosts, Fortuna Sittard have already shipped 50 goals in the league this season, but they have also struggled to get going at the attacking end of the pitch, where they have scored 24, with 11 coming on the road.

However, they will fancy their chances of coming away with the desired results at the weekend as they face an opposing side who they have defeated in each of the last three meetings between the sides since 2017.

Team News

Cambuur will take to the pitch without the services of Roberts Uldrikis after the Latvian midfielder picked up an injury in the game against Utrecht three weeks back.

Twenty-nine-year-old forward Boere is also a doubt for the Yellow-Blues after coming off injured just after the hour mark against Feyenoord last time out.

George Cox, who has made 19 league appearances this term, is out of contention for the visitors after sustaining an injury in the 2-0 win over Heerenveen on February 5.

He is joined on the club's injury table by the German duo of Arianit Ferati and Felix Dornebusch, while defender Ivan Pinto is set to miss his fourth straight game through a muscle problem.

While his side have struggled for most of the season, Mats Seuntjens has eight goals and two assists to his name this season and we expect the Dutch forward to lead the line once again.

Cambuur possible starting lineup:
Stevens; Schmidt, Mac-Intosch, Schouten, Bangura; Jacobs, Hoedemakers, Maulun; Kallon, Boere, Sambissa

Fortuna Sittard possible starting lineup:
Van Osch; Siovas, Samaris, Angha; Janssen, Duarte, Rienstra, Tirpan; Flemming, Benschop, Seuntjens

We say: Cambuur 1-2 Fortuna Sittard

Cambuur have struggled to match their impressive first-half-of-the-season form as they are yet to taste victory since the turn of the year. Next up is a rejuvenated Fortuna Sittard side, who have now won two straight league games for the first time since May 2021. Fortuna have won each of the last three meetings between the sides and we are tipping them to extend their dominance and claim all three points once again.

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