Our prediction for this Netherlands Eredivisie match:
Utrecht and VVV-Venlo go head to head at Stadion Galgenwaard in the Eredivisie round 22. Utrecht have been producing fine displays in the Eredvisie ever since they suffered a 1-0 loss to Vitesse, with the team collecting ten points in total from the previous four league fixtures. Rene Hake’s troops aim to regain their spot in top seven, and they should take advantage of Venlo’s shaky defence.
The visitors experienced all sorts of problems at the back in a 3-2 loss to Fortuna Sittard, and we do not believe that they are capable of spoiling Utrecht’s party at Stadion Galgenwaard. The likes of Elia, Gustafson, Mahi, and Bergstrom are all likely to miss the game with injuries for the hosts, while VVV-Venlo boss Hans de Koning should have a full squad to choose from for Sunday’s showdown. Greece international Giakoumakis is likely to lead the line for the visitors.
Highlighted Player (Willem Janssen):
After starting his senior career at VVV-Venlo, Willem Janssen joined fellow Dutch club Roda JC in 2007. The 186-cm-tall centre-back scored 22 goals in 129 appearances for the Black and Yellows in the Eredivisie, and in 2011 he moved to Twente.
After ending his loan spell with Utrecht in 2014, he signed a permanent deal with the Stadion Galgenwaard outfit, and he has been playing for the club ever since. He scored his first league goal for Utrecht in a 1-1 draw with Zwolle on September 1, 2013. Willem Janseen was born in Nijmegen, Netherlands on July 4, 1986, but he has yet to earn a call-up for the national team. Janssen, though, has two caps with the Netherlands U21 team.
His main position is centre-back, but he is used as both defensive midfielder and central midfielder as well. His preferred foot is right. In the 2015/16 season he helped Utrecht make it to the Dutch Cup final, but Feyenoord proved to be a big catch for them in the title game.
Highlighted Team (Venlo):
Based on the Dutch-German border, VVV-Venlo is a Dutch football club that plays in the Eredivisie. The club was founded on February 7, 1903 under the name of Venlose Voetbal Vereniging, and it’s considered one of the oldest clubs in Dutch football.
VVV Venlo are well known for their yellow shirts and black shorts, and, as a result, they are often called the Yellow Black Army. Venlo play home games at De Koel, the stadium which is able to hold up to 8,000 spectators.
Japan international Keisuke Honda is one of the most notable international footballers who played for the club. However, Honda is not the only Japanese player to wear the yellow jersey as the likes of Maya Yoshida, Robert Cullen, and Yuki Otsu played for the club as well. Roda JC are seen as one of the club’s main rivals, with the two clubs facing each other in the Limburgse derby.