Preview: Heracles vs. FC Twente - prediction, team news, lineups

FC Twente and Heracles face off against each other on Saturday with only six points separating the sides in the Eredivisie table.

Both teams failed to win their respective league games last time out, and the game represents an opportunity to get back to winning ways.

Match preview

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Twente played out an entertaining 2-2 draw versus Feyenoord on Sunday, in a game where they were unlucky not to have picked up all three points.

Ron Jans's men were 2-0 up inside 15 minutes courtesy of goals from Danilo and Tyronne Ebuehi, which were barely 60 seconds apart.

The Tukkers missed several chances to add to that lead before it was eventually wiped out by their opponents' only shots on target.

Next up for them is a trip away from home and, given their record on the road this season, they will fancy themselves to return to De Grolsch Veste with a point at least.

Heracles lost a second consecutive league game as they were humbled at the Mandemakers Stadion, where RKC Waalwijk claimed a 3-0 win on Sunday.

Frank Wormuth's men were beaten 2-0 by Ajax eight days before that which brought their four-game unbeaten run to an end, and they have now slipped to 11th place on the log.

However, the earlier mentioned run yielded 10 points from a possible 12, pulling the Heraclieden clear of any relegation trouble.

A repeat of last season's eighth-place finish is still achievable, but they must make up a six-point gap on Twente for that to happen.

Saturday's hosts have also won the last two meetings between the teams, and a third win in a row would be a good start to making up that deficit.

Heracles Eredivisie form: WDWWLL

FC Twente Eredivisie form: LDDLWD

Team News

Luka Ilic will miss the game as he serves the third of a three-game suspension following his sending-off at PSV Eindhoven three Saturdays ago.

The duo of Julio Pleguezuelo and Vaclav Cerny picked up season-ending knee injuries over the course of the last month, and are unavailable for this one.

Heracles' Giacomo Quagliata has served his one-game suspension, and he is expected to return to the squad which should see Jeff Hardeveld drop back to the bench.

The home team will have to cope with the absence of Navajo Bakboord, who has not featured this season as he remains sidelined with a muscle injury.

Heracles possible starting lineup:
Blaswich; Quagliata, Propper, Rente, Breukers; Schoofs, Azzaoui, De La Torre; Van De Water, Vloet, Burgzorg

FC Twente possible starting lineup:
Drommel; Dumic, Pierie, Pleguezuelo, Smal; Zerrouki, Roemeratoe, Bosch; Menig, Danilo, Van Leeuwen

We say: Heracles 1-2 FC Twente

The two sides are out of form at the moment so this could swing in any direction. However, we are leaning towards a Twente victory in this one albeit by a narrow margin.