Preview: FC Utrecht vs. Vitesse - prediction, team news, lineups

Two teams at opposite ends of the Eredivisie table will meet on Sunday as FC Utrecht plat host to the already-relegated Vitesse.

While the visitors are merely playing for personal pride at this point in the season, the hosts are still pushing to secure European football.

Match preview

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Utrecht heads into this weekend on the back of a four-game undefeated run, which has helped the club push into the top eight as they eye European qualification this season.

The strong run of form that Ron Jans has brought out of his team at the business end of the season has led to them climbing into seventh place with just three games to go, giving them a strong chance of earning European football for next season.

The situation is very much in Utrecht's hands, but with Go Ahead Eagles only four points behind them, there is very little room for error.

The hosts left things late during their most recent outing, as an 84th-minute equaliser from Sam Lammers secured a point against RKC Waalwijk, but Utrecht will want to get back to winning ways this time around.

Playing at home has led to stronger performances and better results from Utrecht this season, while the visitors have struggled defensively on the road, which will inject belief into the hosts.

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For Vitesse, there is nothing to play for in this match as their relegation has been confirmed for a while now, after what has been a difficult season both on and off the pitch.

The club were never able to recover from the 18-point deduction they were handed, but the fact they have only managed five victories all season has not aided that situation.

Despite that, Vitesse did come from 2-1 behind to secure three points in their most recent outing as they managed to defeat Fortuna Sittard 3-2, showcasing they are not going to end the season with a whimper.

A brace from Paxten Aaronson and a goal from former Chelsea midfielder Marco van Ginkel wrapped up the result, with the team even hanging on despite going down to 10 men towards the end of the game.

Vitesse are simply playing for personal pride at this stage with a focus on next season, while putting a positive run together to end the campaign on a high would reward the fans as well.

Team News

The hosts are dealing with several injury problems at the moment with Mike van der Hoorn, Miklas Vesterlund and Tim Handwerker all unavailable.

Elsewhere, Jans will have to deal without Taylor Booth, Jeppe Okkels and Kevin Gadellaa which will push the squad's depth.

The visitors are going to be without Giovanni van Zwam after he was sent off during Vitesse's most recent match, with his suspension kicking in here.

Vitesse are also dealing with some injury issues as Fode Fofana, Miliano Jonathans and Mexx Meerdink are all unavailable heading into this weekend.

Van Ginkel might have done enough to earn a place in the starting lineup after getting on the scoresheet as a substitute last weekend, with the experienced midfielder offering box-to-box energy.

FC Utrecht possible starting lineup:Barkas; El Karouani, Viergever, Flamingo, Van der Maarel; Fraulo, Iqbal; Lidberg, Jensen, Toornstra; Lammers

Vitesse possible starting lineup:Room; Arcus, Isimat-Mirin, Hendriks, Pinto; Aaronson, Tielemans, Meulensteen; De Regt, Buitink, Kozlowski

We say: FC Utrecht 2-1 Vitesse

Vitesse might have picked up three points during their most recent outing, but they will still head into this game as the underdogs due to the league positions of each team.

With Utrecht needing to pick up some more positive results to secure European football, they have plenty to play for and that could be the crucial difference here.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.

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