Preview: Groningen vs. Heerenveen - prediction, team news, lineups

Two teams who have blown hot and cold in recent weeks are set to go head-to-head in the Eredivisie on Sunday as Groningen play host to Heerenveen.

Despite their inconsistencies of late, the home side are in still in the hunt to qualify for next season's Europa League, while the visitors are just two points away from the top half.

Match preview

Groningen became the latest team to get the better of VVV-Venlo as they narrowly came out on top in a 1-0 victory on Saturday.

Danny Buijs's men were reduced to 10 after just 20 minutes as Azor Matusiwa received his marching orders for two cynical fouls.

However, they absorbed all the pressure that they were put under before delivering a sucker punch with three minutes left to play through Mo El Hankouri.

The win was only the Trots van het Noorden's second on the road since the turn of the year, but it was enough to maintain their status as the sixth-best team in the land.

Games between Sunday's opponents are usually cagey, with four of the last five ending in stalemates, including February's reverse fixture.

Heerenveen were unable to throw a spanner in the works of the league leaders as they were defeated 2-1 by Ajax on Sunday.

Johnny Jansen's men were on par with their opponents on the day at half time after Dusan Tadic's penalty cancelled out Mitchell Van Bergen's opener.

The game was ultimately decided just past the hour mark when Sebastien Haller deflected Lisandro Martinez's effort past Erwin Mulder.

De Superfriezen remain 10th in the Eredivisie table, and they are on course for a repeat of last season's league finish with only six games left to play.

Team News

Ramon-Pascal Lundqvist was subbed off less than half an hour into the hosts' draw against Emmen in March, and he has not featured since.

Azor Matusiwa is ruled out of the clash with a damaged knee, but the 22-year-old Dutch midfielder is not far off a return to action.

Arjen Robben's injury problem persists, and he is set to miss yet another game having featured just twice since returning to his boyhood club.

Ulysses Llanez is the only absentee for the away side as he continues to work his way back to full fitness after missing the last three months of action through a muscle injury.

Henk Veerman has been involved in 18 of his side's 37 league goals this term, so he will need to be on song if the visitors are to stand a chance of getting anything from the match.

Groningen possible starting lineup:
Padt; Van Hintum, Itakura, Te Wierik, Dankerlui; Schreck, Van Kaam; Suslov, El Hankouri, Da Cruz; Strand Larsen

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

We say: Groningen 2-1 Heerenveen

The onus to claim all three points will be majorly on the home side, who have bigger aspirations than their visitors. We expect them to rise to the occasion and secure the victory in this one.