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

Heerenveen host Groningen at the Abe Lenstra Stadion on Sunday as they look to bounce back from a 3-1 loss to AZ Alkmaar last Sunday.

On the flip side, their visitors are in search of consecutive league victories for the first time since the turn of the year.

Match preview

Prior to their trip to the AFAS Stadion, Heerenveen were on a three-game unbeaten streak in the league, which saw them pick up seven points from nine.

Saturday's hosts gave a good account of themselves in the game but ultimately, they were beaten by the better side on the day.

However, Johnny Jansen's men went on to knock Feyenoord out of the KNVB-Beker just three days later in a nerve-wracking 4-3 victory.

De Superfriezen looked dead and buried as they trailed 3-1 heading into the final 10 minutes despite taking a 1-0 lead into half time.

What followed was a frenetic seven-minute window in which they scored three times to complete a seemingly impossible comeback.

Groningen were victorious in their last league outing on Sunday in a 1-0 win versus PEC Zwolle at the Hitachi Capital Mobility Stadium.

Danny Buijs's men continue to heap the pressure on Feyenoord in the race for fifth place, from which they are currently four points adrift.

Both teams are set to face off next week, so it is imperative that Trots van het Noorden stay within touching distance ahead of that crunch clash.

They have been held to stalemates on each of their last four visits to Heerenveen, but they will be confident of going one better this time around.

Heerenveen Eredivisie form: DLWDWL
Heerenveen form (all competitions): LWDWLW

Groningen Eredivisie form: WDLWLW

Team News

Groningen's Azor Matusiwa is ruled out of the game with a damaged knee which he sustained in his team's loss to Vitesse, but he is not far off a return to action.

Patrick Joosten is in line for a return to action following his recovery from an ankle problem that kept him out for the past three games.

Jorgen Strand Larsen's winner against Zwolle means that he is now just one league goal away from reaching double figures in his debut season, and he will want to reach that landmark as soon as possible.

Heerenveen's Jan Paul van Hecke picked up his fifth yellow card of the season versus AZ and as a result, he is suspended for this one.

Ulysses Llanez is the home team's only other 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

Groningen possible starting lineup:
Padt; Gudmundsson, Van Hintum, Itakura, Angel Leal; Lundqvist, Van Kaam, Da Cruz; Suslov, Strand Larsen, El Hankouri

We say: Heerenveen 1-2 Groningen

Heerenveen come into this one on the back of an exhausting midweek tie with only little time to recover. We expect Groningen to be fresher and fitter, while also claiming all three points.