Our prediction for this Netherlands Eredivisie match:
AZ
Match Time & Date:
13/04/2024
18:45
Prediction: 3-0
Waalwijk
AZ Alkmaar will be aiming to make amends for a massive 5-1 loss to PSV when they take on RKC Waalwijk in the Eredivisie round 30. The Cheese Farmers suffered a dip in form, with the team conceding ten goals in total in the previous two league matches, but their three-game winning run at home is surely giving fans a reason for optimism ahead of the visit of RKC. Kristijan Belic serves a one-game ban, while both Lequincio Zeefuik and Bruno Martins Indi are sidelined with injuries.
RKC Waalwijk, meanwhile, are not regarded as good travellers, with the team losing five of their last six away games. In their last meeting at AFAS Stadion AZ Alkmaar outplayed RKC 3-0 and we predict that history is going to repeat itself. Midfielder Nouri El Harmazi should be the only absentee in the visiting team this time out.
Highlighted Player (Riechedly Bazoer):
Despite playing for PSV during his youth career, Riechedly Bazoer made his Eredivisie debut with Ajax. The central midfielder who was born on 12 October, 1996 in Utrecht, scored his first goal for Ajax on 15 February, 2015 in a 4-2 victory over Twente.
Four days later he made his European debut with the Amsterdammers, taking part in a 1-0 win over Legia in the Europa League. Bazoer scored five goals in 29 league appearances for Ajax in the 2015/2016 season, but he failed to win the domestic trophy with Frank de Boer’s troops.
Speaking of his international career, Bazoer has two caps for Netherlands U21 team and he made his debut for the first team on 13 November, 2015 against Wales. It has to be noted that he came as a late substitute in the 3-2 victory over the Dragons. Back in 2012 the right-footed midfielder won the UEFA U17 European Championship with the Dutch national team.
Highlighted Team (Waalwijk):
RKC Waalwijk is a Dutch club that competes in the Eredivisie. RKC returned to the Dutch top flight in the 2019/20 season, and they were more than fortunate not to suffer relegation back to Eerste Divisie. Fred Grim’s men were stuck at the bottom of the table when the season was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
As a result, they did not drop to the Dutch second tier. RKC play home games at Mandemakers Stadion, the venue which can hold only 7,500 spectators. RKC Waalwijk are well known for their yellow shirts with blue strips, but their away kit is mainly black. The Mandemakers Stadion outfit have never won the national championship.
RKC, though, represented the Netherlands in European competitions in the past, with team taking part in Intertoto Cup on four occasions. Willem II are seen as one of the club’s main rivals, with the two teams facing each other in the Brabantse derby.
