Our prediction for this Netherlands Eredivisie match:
Vitesse and Den Haag go head to head at GelreDome in the opening match of the Eredivisie round 29. Vitesse have been in a fine form of late, with the team recording four wins in the previous five league fixtures, and, as a result, the bookies see them as hot favourites to beat Den Haag on Friday evening. Thomas Letsch should have a full squad to choose from.
The rock-bottom side, on the other hand, suffered a heavy 4-1 loss to Utrecht at the weekend, with the team extending their losing run to four matches. Den Haag are low on confidence ahead of the trip to Arnhem, and we do not believe that they are capable of spoiling Vitesse’s party at GelreDome. Both Kramer and Zuverloon are sidelined with injuries for the visitors, while Bijen and Janmaat are rated doubtful for the match.
Highlighted Player (Keisuke Honda):
Keisuke Honda is considered one of the most famous Japanese footballers. Honda was born in Settsu, Osaka on June 13, 1986 and he started his youth career at his hometown club Settsu FC. In 2004 he signed a professional contract with Nagoya Grampus and he played for the J1-League club from 2004 to 2007.
The left-footed midfielder then moved to Europe, signing a deal with VVV-Venlo on January 16, 2008 and it has to be noted that he scored 24 goals in 68 league appearances for the Dutch outfit. In the winter of 2009 Keisuke Honda joined Russian club CSKA Moscow for an undisclosed fee. The Japanese footballer quickly established himself as CSKA’s key player and in 2013 he won the Russian Premier League title with the Armeitsy.
Nowadays, the Japan international plays for Mexican side Pachuca. As for his international career, Honda made his Japan debut on June 22, 2008. Honda is well known for his accurate and powerful shot and he often scores from free-kicks.
Highlighted Team (Den Haag):
Ado Den Haag is a professional Dutch club based in Hague, the seat of the Netherlands government. De Ooievaars (The Storks) welcome their rivals at Cars Jeans Stadion, which can hold up to 15,000 spectators. Founded back in February, 1905, Den Haag are well known for their yellow shirts with green stripes, while their away kit is mainly sky blue.
De Ooievaars were the dominant force in the Netherlands Football League Championship during the World War II, with the team winning two domestic trophies (1941/42, and 1942/43). Den Haag have two KNVB Cup titles as well as they won the Dutch Cup in both 1967/68 and 1974/75 seasons. Legendary Netherlands tactician Dick Advocaat played for Den Haag on two occasions.
He scored seven goals in 147 league appearances from 1966 to 1973, and he returned to the club in 1979. Ajax and Feyenoord are considered the club’s biggest rivals. The rivalry between the clubs has become big due to hooligan fights before and after matches.