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| The 2017/18 Dutch Eredivisie is set to kick-off this weekend with nine matches taking place. |
The 2017/2018 Eredivisie league is set to kick off this weekend with nine matches taking place. With 33-time league winners, Ajax Amsterdam, 23-time winners PSV Eindhoven and 15-time winners and current champions, Feyenoord, all major contenders to claim the title. It looks like it could go either way, but for now, let’s take a look at how round one will pan out.
Friday 11 August
43/20 ADO Den Haag | Draw 23/10 | Utrecht 5/4 (19:00)
Utrecht had a stellar 2016/17 season and finished fourth on the Eredivisie log, scoring 52 goals, conceding 38, and winning 18 from 34 matches. Their opponents, ADO Den Haag, finished the campaign in 11th place last season, conceding 59 goals and scoring 20 goals less (39). Den Haag will need to be more organised this season if they want to improve on their 2016/17 record. Back Utrecht for the win.
Saturday 12 August
5/4 Venlo | 23/10 | Sparta Rotterdam 2/1 (18:30)
Venlo are looking to make their mark in the Eredivisie after being promoted from the Eerste Divisie, winning 25 of their 38 matches, scoring 75 goals and only conceding 35. Their opponents this weekend, Sparta Rotterdam, struggled last season only managing 15th place. This makes for an interesting encounter as the new boys take on league veterans. I’d go for a draw as both teams will be shaking off pre-season cobwebs.
7/20 PSV | 17/4 | AZ Alkmaar 13/2 (18:30)
PSV finished third place in the 2016/17 season, with 22 matches won from 34 matches, scoreing 68 goals. They’re joint-favourites at 14/10, alongside Ajax to win the league. PSV face AZ Alkmaar in their opening matchup – a side that finished sixth, with 12 wins from their 34 matches, including nine losses. Back PSV for a comfortable win.
11/20 Vitesse | 32/10 | NAC Breda 17/4 (20:45)
Vitesse, who finished fifth place in the 2016/17 season, won 15 from 34 matches, losing 13. Their goal scoring record was quite healthy with 51 scored and 40 conceded. They’ll take on newly promoted NAC Breda, who finished fifth in the Eerste Divisie. This should be a challenging encounter, but Vitesse are tipped to capitalize on home advantage.
57/10 Heracles | 7/2 | Ajax Amsterdam 9/20 (20:45)
One of the favourites to claim the title, Ajax Amsterdam, will be determined to wrestle back the trophy after Feyenoord edged it by a single point last season. Their young squad was on song the whole season, even reaching the Europa league final, but a lack of experience saw them go down to Manchester United. This season they’ll sharpen their edges and come back even stronger, hungrier and determined. Heracles were disappointing as they finished 10th with 12 wins, seven draws, and 15 losses. Back Ajax for an easy win.
Sunday 13 August
8/10 Zwolle | 26/10 | Roda JC 31/10 (12:30)
Zwolle only managed nine wins last season, a statistic they have to improve on in order to climb up from their 14th-placed finish. Roda will be disappointed as they finished in the bottom two, only winning seven matches and lost 15 with 12 draws. Bet on Zwolle to win at 8/10.
2/9 Feyenoord | 5/1 | Twente 10/1 (14:30)
2016/17 champions, Feyenoord, stormed to the top of the log with 26 wins from 34 matches and only four losses, scoring 86 goals, conceding only 25. Their opponents, Twente, finished in seventh place, with 12 wins, 13 losses, and nine draws. Bet on Feyenoord to get their season off to a winning start.
19/20 Willem II | 5/2 | Excelsior 26/10 (14:30)
Willem and Excelsior share a similar 2016/17 record, as they finished with 36 and 35 points respectively. Both teams had nine wins with Willem losing a match extra. A tight affair is on the cards with the sides tipped to cancel each other out.
23/20 Groningen | 51/20 | Heerenveen 21/10 (16:45)
Groningen and Heerenveen finished the 2016/17 season with the same points (43). The home side were terrible on their ground with five wins from 17 games, while Heerenveen struggled on the road with four wins from 17 matches. There’s very little between the sides, making the draw most likely.
TREBLE @ 16/10
PSV Win 7/20
Vitesse Win 11/20
Feyenoord Win 2/9
Written by Lungelo Mdladla
