Utrecht vs NEC Nijmegen Prediction
Goal Fest Incoming When Utrecht Host High-Flying NEC
Preview
Right then, let's have a proper look at this Eredivisie clash between Utrecht and NEC Nijmegen. On paper, you might look at the league table and think it's a close one - Utrecht sitting 9th with 13 points, NEC just above them in 7th with 15. But dig into the recent form, and it's a completely different story altogether.
Utrecht are having a right old time of it lately, and not in a good way. Their last 10 games read like a horror story: 2 wins, 2 draws, and 6 losses. That's just 0.80 points per game, which is relegation form, make no mistake. They've been shipping goals for fun too - 1.5 per game on average. Look at their recent results and it's grim reading: hammered 4-1 by AZ, beaten 3-2 by Feyenoord, and even lost 1-0 to struggling Fortuna Sittard. Their only recent win was against bottom-half Volendam, and even then they conceded.
Now flip over to NEC Nijmegen, and it's like watching a different sport entirely. These lads are playing some proper attacking football, banging in 2.5 goals per game! Their recent form is solid - 4 wins, 3 draws, 3 losses. But here's the killer stat: both teams score in 90% of their recent games. NINETY PERCENT! That's absolutely bonkers. They're basically guaranteeing goals at both ends. They've had some right thrillers lately - 3-3 with Twente, 2-2 with PEC Zwolle, and they even put four past Heracles.
The head-to-head suggests Utrecht usually have the edge over NEC, but form counts for everything in football. NEC are scoring for fun and Utrecht can't keep a clean sheet to save their lives. The goal expectancy for this match is through the roof - suggesting nearly 3.5 goals on average.
Utrecht have had a couple of extra days rest (7 vs 3 for NEC), but when you're playing this badly, rest might not be the cure-all you need. NEC come into this on the back of a cup win and will be buzzing.
Let's be honest here - this has "goals" written all over it. NEC's games are basically end-to-end chaos, and Utrecht's defence is about as solid as a chocolate teapot at the moment.