A good start of the season with FC Utrecht, NAC Breda and Feyenoord winning their games and securing a + 6.6 unit profit in the first round. Second round will again be a tough round to predict with no real obvious bets apart from Ajax to beat RKC Waalwijk perhaps, but let's take a better look to see if we can find some angles.
NEC – SC Heerenveen, 07 August 2009 18:00 CET
NEC suffered a 2-0 defeat on the road to Feyenoord last Sunday in a game the visitors failed to score despite creating some more than decent chances. El Kabir (att) and Schöne (mid) omitted to open the score in the first five minutes and a huge blunder from Van Eijden (def) five minutes later allowed the hosts to take an early and mostly very easy lead. In the second half NEC started pressing for the equalizer but failed to create many chances before Feyenoord decided the match from eleven meters fifteen minutes from the final whistle. For the game against SC Heerenveen the hosts will have to do without Saidi (att) and the long-term injured Sibum (def) with the former being suspended due to disciplinary actions after refusing to play with the youth of NEC last Monday.
SC Heerenveen yet again failed to impress after their 5-1 defeat against AZ for the Dutch Super Cup, booking a goalless draw at home to Roda JC last week. The team managed to create some good chances, especially in the first half, but the departure of Pranjic (def) over the summer has left a big gap in the creativity of the team. SC Heerenveen signed two new players this week with Losada (mid) coming over from Anderlecht (Bel) and Lejsal (gk) from 1. FC Brno (Cze). Both players will be on loan for one season and Lejsal (gk) has been in the picture of Feyenoord before, but the Rotterdam team could not meet the salary requirements of the goalkeeper.
NO BET
AZ – Sparta Rotterdam, 07 August 2009 20:45 CET
AZ knew a false start of the season losing 3-2 on the road to Heracles Almelo. The hosts opened the score early in the first half and expanded their lead to a three-goal margin fifteen minutes after halftime. Two quick goals fifteen minutes from time allowed AZ back in the game, but the visitors did manage to force their way to the equalizer, being denied a stone wall penalty five minutes from the final whistle. Although the defeat did not come unexpected given the fact that AZ is always seems a slow starter each season, the red cards of Pelle (att) and Swerts (def) did leave team manager Koeman with much more to think about. Both players will be suspended for four games and for the game against Sparta on Friday Holman (att) is expected to be included in the starting eleven to replace Pelle (att).
A 0-2 home defeat at to FC Twente last Saturday gave Sparta the honor to close the lines in the table this week with the team becoming the first basement dwellers along with NEC and FC Groningen. Sparta did not play a very poor game but a defensive blunder allowed FC Twente to take the lead where Sparta omitted to find the net with Duplan (att) and Poepon (att) who were both given excellent chances on the equalizer shortly before halftime. In the second half FC Twente doubled their lead and broke the resistance of the hosts and the visitors were allowed to cruise to an easy win. Sparta will have a fully fit selection for the game against AZ on Friday except for Falkenburg (att) who will remain sidelined with a muscle injury.
Odds for the home win are low and given the fact that AZ are not the best starters of the season and the fact they suffered a small blow last weekend and therefore will be under a little pressure in order to perform at home, I will leave this one alone. Basically, the only good performance of AZ in the last few weeks has been the 5-1 win over SC Heerenveen where the team lost to more serious opponents as Hamburger SV (Ger) and Club Brugge (Bel) without scoring a goal. With Van Gaal still in charge I would have gone all-in for this game but I have my doubts about the motivational qualities of Koeman. However, the home win will be the most likely outcome here but my money won't be riding on AZ this weekend.
NO BET
Ajax – RKC Waalwijk, 08 August 2009 18:45 CET
Although having a tough start on paper, Ajax knew an excellent begin of the season grabbing a 0-2 victory on the road to FC Groningen last Sunday. A goal from Sulejmani (att) just before halftime allowed the visitors to take a one-goal cushion into halftime and Rommedahl (att) doubled the lead half an hour into the second half. The funny thing is that Rommedahl (att) officially was allowed to leave the club but the Danish player of the year has played an important role in the results of Ajax in the preparation period and seems to have proven to be able to strengthen the team. Ajax has a few missing for the game against RKC Waalwijk on Saturday with Gabri (mid) sitting out with an Achilles tendon injury and Sulejmani (att) being doubtful with a knee injury.
RKC Waalwijk suffered a 0-1 defeat against FC Utrecht upon their return in the Eredivisie due to an early goal in the first half. According to team manager Brood this was a huge mental blow of which the team did not manage to recover and this was shown during the rest of the game where the visitors should have scored at least twice more. RKC Waalwijk signed a new player this week with Metaj (def) coming over from FC Groningen to replace Snoyl (def) who left to NAC Breda over the summer. In their second game RKC Waalwijk will travel to Amsterdam and after a defeat in the first game, the team could have wished for a better opponent to recover against. The good news for RKC Waalwijk is that the team is free from injuries and/or suspensions, but I fear this fact alone will not be enough to grab points away from home against Ajax.
A home win is expected which is reflected in the odds with $1.17 being on offer in general. Although the odds are low I really can not imagine another outcome than a home win so therefore I will take Ajax with this one with high stakes with a side bet being any sending off in the game since there might be some frustration within the RKC Waalwijk team after a most probable second defeat.
Ajax to win $1.17 (9/10) (General)
Sending off in the game $4.90 (1/10) (Unibet)
Roda JC – FC Groningen, 08 August 2009 19:45 CET
A goalless draw on the road to SC Heerenveen last Friday was a result that made team manager Van Veldhoven a happy man. After a very poor season last year -in which Roda JC barely managed to survive in the Eredivisie after a miraculous escape on the last match day winning on the road to Feyenoord- the morale in the team has strengthened. Despite missing some important players Roda JC managed to book a good result in Heerenveen and the team actually deserved the draw. For the game against FC Groningen on Saturday Roda JC will again miss a handful of players but the greatest miss will be Kah (def) who remains suspended after picking up a red card at the end of the last season. Junker (att) and Hadouir (att) will be able to play after making their re-appearance against SC Heerenveen.
FC Groningen suffered a 0-2 defeat at home to Ajax and despite the fact that games against Ajax are always something special up north, the hosts did not seem to make a very eager impression. Of course, FC Groningen missed their key striker Berg (att) who made a move to Hamburger SV (Ger) but FC Groningen did not make the impression to believe in a good result. The team will travel to Limburg on Saturday to visit Roda JC and FC Groningen will have some good memories from the last seasons winning three from their last four meetings against Roda JC. The team will miss Luciano (gk) who picked up a knee injury against Ajax last Sunday and also Andersson (mid) will remain sidelined with a knee injury.
NO BET
Vitesse – Feyenoord, 09 August 2009 12:30 CET
A poor start of the first half and some bad luck with the referee were the causes of the 3-1 defeat to Willem II last Saturday. Vitesse knew a terrible start of the match and it seemed the visitors did not realize the competition had already started. Within four minutes Willem II opened the score after Sprockel (def) failed to intercept the ball from a Willem II winger allowing the hosts to open the score. Saves from Velthuizen (gk) and Stevanovic (def) kept Vitesse in the game but a goal from Willem II after half an hour of play gave the hosts a much deserved two-goal lead. Some hard words during halftime ensured Vitesse to show up in the second half with a different attitude and after pulling one goal back the equalizer just seemed a matter of time especially with Willem II getting down to ten men. However, a razor sharp counter in the final minute of the game restored the two-goal lead for the hosts with Vitesse being left empty-handed.
Feyenoord had a better start of the season grabbing a 2-0 win over NEC at home without playing very convincing. Ten minutes into the first half Tomasson (att) was allowed to open the score after poor defending from the visitors and with NEC creating no real chances, Feyenoord did not need a strong performance to be able to defend their lead. In the second half Fer (mid) doubled the lead from eleven meters but the most remarkable moment of the game was the replacement of Makaay (att) during halftime leading to a lot of rumors about a conflict between the top striker and team manager Been. Feyenoord will travel to Vitesse on Sunday and the team will have a fully fit selection apart from Darley (mid) will remain sidelined with a knee injury.
Feyenoord played far from great last week while Vitesse underperformed and will be looking to erase the bad taste of the defeat against Feyenoord. The game is promising to be a clash with both teams ready to go all out for the win. Therefore I will take my chances on the red card market, especially this early in the season where referees will try to set the pace for the rest of the season.
Sending off in the game $4.80 (1/10) (Unibet)
NAC Breda – Heracles Almelo, 09 August 2009 12:30 CET
NAC Breda continued their amazing away record with a 1-2 win over ADO Den Haag last Sunday thanks to some razor sharp counters. In a game that was dominated by ADO Den Haag Lurling (att) opened the score for the visitors two minutes from halftime and with a second half that showed the same image it was once again NAC Breda finding the net with Amoah (att) firing an assist from Lurling (att) behind the ADO goalkeeper. The hosts managed to pull one goal back but the visitors managed to defend their lead thanks to Ten Rouwelaer (gk) who performed the most impossible and amazing saves throughout the game. NAC Breda will play in front of an empty stadium on Sunday due to a penalty from the KNVB after a firework incident last season. However, big screens will be place inside and outside the stadium for a live feed with the parking lot which is expected to attract 10,000 people. NAC Breda will once again miss Elshot (def) and Penders (def) in the defense while Van der Leegte (mid) will remain sidelined with a foot injury. The team will be defending a 1-0 lead over Polonia Warschaw (Pol) in the third round of the Europe League on Thursday and will have a two-day rest period to the game against Heracles Almelo.
Heracles Almelo grabbed a deserved 3-2 victory over AZ Alkmaar last Saturday after a fine collective performance. The hosts opened the score early in the first half with Everton (att) finding the net and in the second half goals from Overtoom (att) and Fledderus (mid) allowed the hosts to take a three-goal lead. Heracles Almelo appeared to cruise to an easy victory but almost gave away their lead with AZ scoring twice thirteen minutes from time and being denied a penalty in the final minutes of the game. A turbulent end of the match with two red cards for the visitors brought back some rest in the defense of the hosts with Heracles securing their first three points of the season.
Odds for the home win seem about right, but given the fact NAC Breda will have a game on Thursday in the Europe League, they will be playing in an empty stadium and Heracles may be boosted by their win over AZ last week I will leave this game alone at these odds.
NO BET
VVV Venlo – ADO Den Haag, 09 August 2009 14:30 CET
VVV Venlo was responsible for the first real shock result in the Eredivisie this season. Not only did they manage to keep PSV to a draw in Eindhoven, but also did they manage to score three times in a 3-3 draw. The hosts opened the score and being 2-0 up at halftime, the hosts seemed to cruise to an easy victory. However, goals from Ahahaoui (att) and Honda (mid) in the second half allowed VVV Venlo back in the game. Eight minutes from time PSV took the lead again but three minutes later Schaken (att) leveled the score once again to give the visitors a deserved point. The newcomers in the Eredivisie will host ADO Den Haag on Sunday and many will see this game as a battle between two possible candidates for relegation. VVV Venlo will have a fully fit selection apart from Boymans (att) and will be strengthened by the result against PSV last week.
ADO Den Haag suffered a 1-2 defeat at home to NAC Breda last Sunday with the team failing to translate their abundant chances into goals. It could be called a small miracle that the visitors managed to keep a clean sheet until ten minutes from time with ADO Den Haag hitting the woodwork frequently and otherwise not managing to get the ball past the NAC Breda goalkeeper. ADO Den Haag will be traveling to VVV Venlo on Sunday and the team has a long list of absentees with Rankovic (mid) picking up a knee injury in the first minute of the game against NAC Breda last week and remaining sidelined for the rest of the season. Knopper (mid) is expected to remain sidelined with a knee injury. Three goalkeepers of ADO Den Haag will miss the game against VVV Venlo with Waterman (gk) and Zwinkels (gk) picking up a groin and knee injury respectively and third goalkeeper Coutinho (gk) being arrested last week for hosting a weed farm. It is expected that the 44-year old keepers trainer Stam will make his appearance in the goal on Sunday.
ADO Den Haag played a very good game against NAC Breda last week and were unlucky not to grab at least a draw. My first thoughts were backing them especially at odds around $4.80, however, the goalkeeper problem kept me off. VVV Venlo will be boosted by the result against PSV and if they can keep their form they are able to grab a win. The odds are right for this game and since I can find no other angle, again a game I will leave alone.
NO BET
FC Utrecht – Willem II, 09 August 2009 14:30 CET
FC Utrecht booked a 0-1 victory over RKC Waalwijk last Saturday in a game the visitors should have won with a higher score line. After three minutes in the first half Van Wolfswinkel (att) opened the score for the visitors and the striker lightened up his debut for FC Utrecht in the Eredivisie with an early goal. The hosts seemed thunder struck after falling behind early in the game but with FC Utrecht omitting to increase their lead RKC Waalwijk kept hope for a good result. However, FC Utrecht managed to survive easily and will be aiming to continue their winning ways against Willem II on Sunday. FC Utrecht will mostly likely be without Keller (def), Somers (mid) and Silberbauer (mid) while Schut (def) will remain sidelined. Vandenbergh (att) will be able to make his appearance again after an administrative blunder which disallowed him to play against RKC Waalwijk.
Willem II grabbed a somehow unexpected 3-1 home win over Vitesse last Saturday with some luck in the final ten minutes of the game. The hosts opened the score in the first half with Gregoire (mid) finding the net after poor defending from Vitesse and with the hosts keeping the pressure on the goal of the visitors it was Boutahar (mid) doubling the lead after half an hour of play. In the second half a second yellow card for Gregoire (mid) allowed Vitesse back in the game with the visitors pulling a goal back one minute later and slowly taking over the initiative in the match. Two balls on the woodwork and the denial of a stone wall penalty in the final ten minutes of the game allowed Willem II to keep their lead and a well performed counter attack in the final minute of the game secured the hosts of three points and the lead in the ranking.
FC Utrecht played a strong game against RKC Waalwijk and their only omission was to increase the score line. Willem II will miss some players against FC Utrecht and their win over Vitesse was in my opinion more caused by the poor play of Vitesse in the first half rather than the impressive performance of Willem II. FC Utrecht will be looking to continue their winning ways and they should be able to bang in some goals against Willem II looking at the way they created chances against RKC Waalwijk.
FC Utrecht to win $1.62 (5/10) (General)
FC Twente – PSV, 09 August 2009 14:30 CET
FC Twente suffered a huge blow last week after drawing 1-1 against Sporting Lisbon in the Champions League preliminary round due to 94th minute goal from the visitors. FC Twente opened the score early in the game thanks to a header from Douglas (def) but forgot to score the liberating second goal. With Sporting Lisbon not creating many chances a corner kick was deflected of the leg of Wisgerhof (def) with the defender curling the ball behind his own goalkeeper. It will be very interesting to see how FC Twente will react on this huge blow against PSV on Sunday after winning their first competition of the season against Sparta 0-2 thanks to goals from N'Kufo (att) and new signing Ruiz (att). In their last four meetings against PSV the hosts remained without a win but secured three draws and looking at the form of PSV at this moment there seems no better time to break through that negative record.
PSV hugely disappointed last week by drawing 3-3 at home to VVV Venlo giving away a 2-0 lead in the second half and a 3-2 lead five minutes from time. In the first half the hosts opened the score with Amrabat (att) finding the net after half an hour of play and Toivonen (att) doubled the lead four minutes from halftime. In the second half two goals from the visitors leveled the score again but eight minutes from time Toivonen (att) seemed to secure the three points for PSV with his second goal of the evening. However, three minutes later VVV Venlo once again managed to find the equalizer underlining the problems for PSV, who will defend a 1-0 lead –thanks to a 90th minute goal from Marcellis (mid)- over Cherno (Bul) away from home on Thursday in the Europe League.
Odds for the home win can be found up to $2.75 and these seem well worth taking. If FC Twente can turn the switch and are ready to give everything in order to try to play away the hangover from last Tuesday, I can see them cause some trouble in the PSV defense. Defensively, FC Twente seems more than all right and with Ruiz (att), N'Kufo (att) and Stoch (att) they will be able to create some danger up front. Add the fact that PSV will travel to Bulgaria on Thursday and they will play away from home once again on Sunday, I think we have a great bet here at these prices.
FC Twente to win $2.75 (4/10) (General)
| 
