EREDIVISIE WEEK 19 PREVIEW

Sunday afternoon is De Klassieker, Ajax vs. PSV Eindhoven. The last time out, PSV embarrassed Ajax with a 4-0 drubbing – Frank de Boer will look for revenge and a win will mean that Ajax stay at the top of the pile.

Here’s Will Burns with a full preview of Sunday’s action.

Sunday 19th January

NEC NIJMEGEN vs. ADO DEN HAAG – 11:30

It is a battle at the bottom as ADO Den Haag (16th) travel to NEC Nijmegen (18th) on Sunday morning, gunning to be victorious for just the second time in the last 8 away matches.

Last time out NEC were defeated heavily 5-2 at Groningen, and just yesterday they strengthened their squad by the double loan signing of Geoffrey Castillion and Danzell Gravenberch from Ajax.

As ADO Den Haag have been losing at half-time and full-time in six of their last seven away fixtures, the best bet of the day has to be NEC Nijmegen HT/FT.

BURNS’ BEST BET: NEC Nijmegen HT/FT (12/5 – Bet365)

SC CAMBUUR vs. GO AHEAD EAGLES – 13:30

With SC Cambuur sitting in 17th, head coach Dwight Lodeweges will be desperate to open up 2014 with a win. It may be difficult against Go Ahead Eagles on Saturday afternoon, the home side will be without their first choice right-back, as Wout Droste is serving a suspension.

Tenth-placed Go Ahead Eagles could be missing a key player with Erik Falkenburg doubtful, but thankfully for the away side, star striker Marnix Kolder has recovered from a back injury and declared himself fit for Saturday.

Cambuur have not fared well this season and only managed to win four matches all season and even though Go Ahead Eagles have lost five out of their last six away games, I’m picking the Eagles to soar in this one.

BURNS’ BEST BET: Go Ahead Eagles to win (3/1 – BetVictor)

FC UTRECHT vs. FEYENOORD – 13:30

Ninth-placed FC Utrecht head into this home game with Ronald Koeman’s Feyenoord (4th) side with four first teamers out of action. Zambian striker Jacob Mulenga (thigh), Edouard Duplan (knee), Cedric van der Gun (knee) all miss out with injuries, but in better news for head coach Jan Wouters, top scorer Steven de Ridder returns after serving suspension.

Feyenoord are virtually full strength with only Swedish striker Samuel Armentaros absent due to a foot injury and Ruud Vormer with a groin problem. The Rotterdam side are on a four-game winning streak trying to chase the leading pack in the Eredivisie championship race.

In the last three of those wins, Feyenoord have been leading at half-time so our best bet of the day would be to take Koeman’s men to win at HT/FT.

BURNS’ BEST BET: Feyenoord HT/FT (17/10)

AJAX vs. PSV – 15:30

Leaving the best until last, the Eredivisie Week 19 closes with De Klassieker on Sunday afternoon at the Amsterdam Arena. In their last outing, Ajax suffered a heavy 4-0 defeat to PSV in September at the Phillips Stadion. That game lit a fire under Ajax and no team have managed to extinguish it yet as the Amsterdammers have won eight of the 11 games since.

PSV are wallowing in mid-table obscurity (8th), as Ajax are neck and neck with Vitesse at the top of the division, Phillip Cocu’s side would love to stop De Boer’s men in their tracks, and help themselves creep closer to the leaders. Ajax have no injury worries, where PSV still are without infleutncial playmaker Georginio Wijnaldum (back) and striker Ola Toivonen (hamstring) and Tim Matavz (knee) will also fail to be fit on time for Sunday’s clash.

Ajax will start with Jasper Cillessen in goal and a back four of Ricardo van Rhijn, Joel Veltman, Niclas Moisander and Nicolai Boilsen, with Daley Blind moving into his new found defensive midfielder postion. This will allow Davy Klaassen and Thulani Serero go forward and help out Bojan, Viktor Fischer and Siem de Jong in attack.

Phillip Cocu is set to name Jeroen Zoet in nets, with Colombian right-back Santiago Arias, Jeffrey Bruma, Karim Rekik and Jetro Willems making up the defence. Across the midfield, Adam Maher, Stijn Schaars and Oskar Hiljemark will have the job of keeping Klaassen at bay, while Memphis Depay, Luciano Narsingh will look to use their speed to set-up lone striker Jurgen Locadia.

With two attacking line-ups, I am predicting goals and plenty of them. Although, I do think it will be a close affair, I cannot see Ajax not gaining revenge this time round but the best bet will be ‘Over 3.5 Goals’ with a 3-1 or 3-2 scoreline coming up trumps for the home side.

BURNS’ BEST BET: Over 3.5 Goals (31/20 – BetVictor)

Click here for Friday and Saturday’s preview and betting tips.