Our prediction for this Netherlands Eredivisie match:
Saturday’s football match at Erve Asito pits together Heracles and Sparta Rotterdam, the two teams who sit in the middle of the table ahead of Matchday 27. Heracles have been showing signs of improvement of late, with the team beating both Zwolle and Den Haag in the previous two league fixtures. Sinan Bakis, who found the net in the 2-1 win over Den Haag, is widely expected to lead the line for the hosts, who are likely to extend their goalscoring run.
Both Agca and Jakobsen are rated doubtful for the match following their positive tests for coronavirus. Sparta, on the other hand, aim to build on back-to-back wins over Venlo and RKC Waalwijk. The Rotterdammers aim to give fans yet another reason for celebration, but they will have to do it without Mario Engels, who suffered an injury in the win over RKC. Anyhow, share of spoils is on the cards as Heracles and Sparta seem to be evenly matched.
Highlighted Player (Janis Blaswich):
Janis Blawich is a German footballer who plays for Heracles Almelo as a goalkeeper. Blaswich started his senior career at Borussia Monchengladbach, make 125 appearances for the reserve team. In the 2015/16 season he was loaned to Dynamo Dresden where he made 30 league appearances.
Following his loan spell with the Yellow and Blacks, the 193-cm-tall shot-stopper moved to fellow German side Hansa Rostock, signing yet another loan deal. In 2018 he joined Dutch club Heracles Almelo, and he has been playing for the Heraclieden ever since. Janis Blaswich made his Eredivisie debut on August 11, 2018 in a 1-1 draw with Heracles, and he managed to keep his first clean sheet in the Dutch top flight the following month in a 4-0 win over De Graafschap.
The goalkeeper was born in Willich, Germany on May 2, 1991, and his preferred foot is right. Janis Blaswich wears the No. 1 shirt at Heracles.
Highlighted Team (Sparta Rotterdam):
Founded back on April 1, 1888, Sparta Rotterdam is considered one of the oldest clubs in the Netherlands. De Kasteelheren (the Castle Lords) welcome their opponents at Het Kasteel, and they have a great rivalry with Feyenoord. Yet another Rotterdam club Excelsior are considered Sparta’s fierce rivals as well.
Sparta Rotterdam wear white shirts with red strips when playing on home soil, while sky blue is the dominant colour of their away kit. De Kasteelheren have won six Eredivisie trophies. Sparta were the dominant force in the Dutch football in the 1910s, with the team winning their last league title in the 1958/59 season.
De Kasteelheren have won three Dutch Cup trophies as well (1957/58, 1961/62, 1965/66). In the 1985/86 season Sparta last participated in the UEFA Cup, with the team beating Hamburger SC in round 1, while suffering elimination to Borussia Monchengladbach in the second round. Sparta’s stadium Het Kasteel can hold up to 11,926 spectators.