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

Having gone unbeaten in their last three league games, Willem II welcome Heerenveen to Tilburg on Saturday aiming to take another step towards escaping from relegation.

The away side come into this one in search of a league double over their hosts, who they beat 2-0 when the teams met in September's reverse fixture at the Abe Lenstra Stadion.

Match preview

Willem II made it consecutive away games without losing courtesy of a 1-1 draw against eighth-placed Twente at the Grolsch Veste Stadion on Saturday.

The match was level at half time, but it was the hosts who were in the ascendancy as they went close to taking the lead on multiple occasions, while also restricting their visitors to no shots on target.

Eventually, the pressure paid off as Twente took the lead four minutes after the hour mark through Jesse Bosch before Vangelis Pavlidis hit back with his seventh goal of the season to even the contest.

Zeljko Petrovic has done relatively well since his appointment in January having lost just two of his first six games in charge, picking up eight points in that time.

As a result, the Tricolores are now just four points from safety as they continue to bear down on VVV-Venlo, whose recent form has been woeful to say the least.

Heerenveen ended a run of three league games without a victory courtesy of a 3-0 thrashing of second-bottom ADO Den Haag on Saturday.

De Superfriezen started on the front foot and they took the lead inside the opening 10 minutes through Siem de Jong's second goal of the campaign.

Second-half goals from Henk Veerman and Joey Veerman wrapped up a comprehensive win for Johnny Jansen's men, who have moved up into ninth place on the log.

Saturday's visitors have won their last two league encounters away at the hosts, and they will be confident of making it three in a row.

Team News

Dries Saddiki remains out for this one as he steps up his recovery from a muscle tear which he sustained over six weeks ago.

Joining him on the list of absentees for Saturday's hosts is Miquel Nelom, whose season has been prematurely ended with a knee injury.

Freek Heerkens will also miss the game as he remains out with a thigh problem through which he has missed his side's last eight games.

Ulysses Llanez is the visitors' only unavailable player for the game as he works his way back to full fitness after he was recently sidelined with a muscle strain.

Johnny Jansen will be expected not to make too many changes to his XI after the team he named last time out emphatically returned to winning ways.

Willem II possible starting lineup:
Brondeel; Kohn, Peters, Holmen, Owusu; Kohlert, Selahi, Spieringhs, Nunnely; Pavlidis, Okyere Wriedt

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

We say: Willem II 1-1 Heerenveen

Willem II seem to have turned a corner since suffering two heavy defeats in the middle of February, while Heerenveen have had mixed results since the turn of the year. We expect a close affair between the sides, and a stalemate in the end.