Preview: Groningen vs. Willem II - prediction, team news, lineups

Aiming to avoid a third straight defeat, out-of-form Willem II visit the Hitachi Capital Mobility Stadion on Saturday to face off against Groningen.

On the other hand, the home side set out to get back to winning ways having failed to win on any of their last two outings heading into this weekend's contest.

Match preview

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Despite putting on a solid defensive display versus the defending champions, Willem II fell to a 1-0 defeat against Ajax in the sides' meeting on Saturday.

Jurrien Timber popped up with the winning goal nine minutes from the end of regulation time to sink Fred Grim's men at the Konig Willem II Stadion.

Consequently, De Superkruiken are hovering just above the relegation zone from which they are currently separated by two points having also played one game more.

Their next assignment comes against an opposing outfit with little to choose between the teams, with the last 13 clashes yielding five wins for either side and three stalemates.

Only Fortuna Sittard and Cambuur have let in more away goals than Saturday's visitors, who have lost seven consecutive league games on the road and have only recorded one clean sheet in 11 outings.

Groningen had to settle for a point at the Mac3Park Stadion on Sunday where they played out a 1-1 stalemate versus bottom-placed PEC Zwolle.

Danny Buijs's men took the lead in the final knockings of the first half through Laros Duarte before conceding a late equaliser to Yuta Nakayama.

Having now amassed 26 points from 23 games so far, The Pride of the North have moved up to 10th place in the Eredivisie table and are only four points off the top half.

With just one victory in their last eight home involvements, Saturday's hosts will need to get going on home turf if they are to stand any chance of replicating last season's seventh-placed finish.

Team News

Mats Kohlert missed his side's last outing through a muscle problem, and the forward's availability for Saturday's game currently hangs in the balance.

The away side will have to make do with the absence of Wesley Spieringhs, who has not featured since early September due to a knee injury.

Pol Llonch is also expected to sit this one out after he pulled up with a leg injury 27 minutes into Willem II's defeat to Sparta Rotterdam two Sundays ago.

Twenty-three-year-old Radinio Balker remains without an appearance in the ongoing campaign as he continues to nurse a long-term knee injury.

Tomas Suslov was on target in the reverse fixture, and the Slovakian will be looking to deliver the goods once again.

Groningen possible starting lineup:
Leeuwenburgh; Meijer, Van Hintum, Te Wierik, Kasanwirjo; Duarte, Suslov, De Leeuw; Abraham, El Hankouri, Larsen

Willem II possible starting lineup:
Wellenreuther; Owusu, Dammers, Jenssen, Kohn; Crowley, Oosting, Saddiki; Nunnely, Hornkamp, Svensson

We say: Groningen 2-1 Willem II

Willem II have been on a downward spiral for a long while, and Groningen will back themselves to capitalise despite having had struggles of their own recently. We fancy the home team to emerge triumphant at the end of the 90 minutes.

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