Our prediction for this Netherlands Eredivisie match:
PSV will be looking to keep their 100% record in the new Eredivisie campaign intact when they take on Sparta Rotterdam on Matchday 8. The league leaders are on the right track to defend their trophy, but the season is quite long. Guus Til should recover from a minor injury he suffered in the Champions League draw with Sporting CP, while Noah Lang is pushing for a start. All Veerman, Lozano, Dest, and Oppegard are injured for the hosts.
The Rotterdammers, on the other hand, failed to impress in a 1-1 draw with Fortuna Sittard, which is yet another reason why home win should be considered. In their last meeting in Eindhoven PSV defeated Sparta Rotterdam 4-2 and we predict that history is going to repeat itself. There are no fresh injury concerns in the visiting team ahead of the trip to Eindhoven.
Highlighted Player (Luuk de Jong):
The 26-year-old Dutch striker Luuk de Jong is considered one of Europe’s deadliest strikers with his incredible return of goals in games he spends playing. Luuk de Jong began his football career at De Graafschap in 2008, but moved on to Twente only a year later.
The tally of 39 goals in 76 league appearances earned him a transfer to Borussia Monchengladbach, but his spell in Germany ended in disappointment. Bundesliga club attempted to revive his career by sending him out on loan to Newcastle United but his stint with the English club yielded even more disappointment and concluded in utter disaster with De Jong playing 12 games without scoring a single goal for the Magpies.
A return to Netherlands and PSV Eindhoven turned out to be a proper hit for the 26-year-old striker who has restored his scoring touch with more than 50 goals for the Boeren after less than 90 games.
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.