Utrecht vs Sparta Rotterdam prediction: NETHERLANDS: Eredivisie betting tips on match 2022-10-22 14:45.
Late on Sunday afternoon, FC Utrecht will have an excellent opportunity to catch up with a rival in the battle for participation in the playoffs. The ambitious club from the city of Dom has 12 points after ten rounds of play and that is currently too little to meet expectations. Their ninth place on the league table should be a springboard to the top four. To add to the intrigue, current Utrecht coach Henk Fraser meets his old club.
FC Utrecht failed to pick up any points in their past two league games. In Utrecht, AZ was too strong and on a visit to PSV, the Domstadelingen were outclassed. The midweek cup game at Sportlust '46 was a welcome change. The professional club left nothing behind and comfortably won 3-0. Their task now is to secure their second home win of the season.
Opponent Sparta Rotterdam is performing above expectations this season. With 17 points from ten games, Maurice Steijn's team is enjoying a very solid first half of the season. Sparta are currently sixth in the table and has five points more than FC Utrecht. Since the city derby with Feyenoord, the club from Spangen is already five games unbeaten (W4, D1) across all competitions.
Sparta won at Het Kasteel against FC Groningen, took a point in a scrappy encounter with RKC Waalwijk and then handled FC Emmen at home. The next home game against N.E.C. was also won. Their cup game at amateur club OFC Oostzaan was also won in the closing stages, with a final score 1-3. Away from home, Sparta has so far gained five points from four league games.
Players to watch: At FC Utrecht, midfielder Sander van de Streek is on fire. He had an important contribution to the cup victory at Sportlust'46 and also scored in away games at PSV and Excelsior. In league football, he has two goals from five appearances. In the KNVB Cup game at OFC Oostzaan, Tobias Lauritsen was the hero for Sparta with two goals. In league play, his tally stands at three goals and one assist from ten appearances.
Hot streak: The last time Sparta Rotterdam took a point at FC Utrecht was in 2009. Since then, the home club has won six consecutive Eredivisie games by an aggregate score of 15-1.