Our prediction for this Netherlands Eredivisie match:
Fortuna Sittard will be aiming to extend their winning run in the Eredivisie to three games when they take on Sparta Rotterdam at their Fortuna Sittard Stadion on Wednesday evening. Sjors Ultee’s troops are on the right track to secure the Eredivisie survival, but the season is quite long, and they can’t afford any complacency in the upcoming fixtures.
Sparta Rotterdam, on the other hand, failed to impress in a 2-0 loss to Feyenoord in the local derby, and even though bookies see them as favourites to win the midweek clash, we are tempted to put our money on the in-form hosts. There are no absentees in the home team as forward Mats Seuntjens returns to contention after serving his ban in a 3-1 win over Heerenveen. As for Sparta, experienced goalkeeper Tim Coremans remains in the recovery room.
Highlighted Player (Alexei Koselev):
Alexei Koselev is a Moldovan international who plays for Eredivisie side Fortuna Sittard. Koselev started his youth career at Kuban Krasnodar, but he did not see any game action with the Russian club at senior level.
The Moldovan goalkeeper played for the likes of Gagauzia, Dacia-2 Buiucani, Real-Succes, Saxan Gagauz Yeri, FC Tiraspol, Sheriff Tiraspol, and Politehnica Iasi before joining Fortuna Sittard in the summer of 2018. Alexei Koselev has 18 caps for the Moldova U21 team, and he made his senior debut in a qualifier against Russia in 2015.
The 200-cm-tall shot-stopper managed to keep his first clean sheet with the Moldova national team in a 2-0 win over San Marino on March 19, 2017. Alexei Koselev’s preferred foot is right, and he wears the No. 77 shirt at Fortuna Sittard. He made his Eredivisie debut on August 11, 2018 in a 1-1 draw with Excelsior.
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.