Two sides sitting nervously down at the bottom of the Eredivisie will meet this Thursday night as Sparta Rotterdam welcome RKC Waalwijk in this must-win clash early on for survival.
It’s been an absolutely torrid season for Rotterdam, who have so far completely and utterly failed to progress on from their impressive eighth-placed finish last time out which kept them only 12 points of Feyenoord in fifth.
🔊 Hoe het stadion had moeten klinken na een 2-2 in blessuretijd#spavit pic.twitter.com/e2DyLb6AXW— Sparta Rotterdam (@SpartaRotterdam) December 20, 2021
🔊 Hoe het stadion had moeten klinken na een 2-2 in blessuretijd#spavit pic.twitter.com/e2DyLb6AXW
This campaign, however, only PEC Zwolle have had it worse with their six points from 18 games as Rotterdam currently sit with only 12 points from their 17 played in the league so far. To make matters worse, they’ve won just two games all season long
As of now and ahead of this vital clash with Waalwijk, Rotterdam have two wins, six draws and nine defeats inside the Dutch top flight, but it's their goals record that is the more alarming.
With 26 goals conceded, there are only two five clubs who have let in more, while their 14 goals is by a distance the second-worst in the league behind Zwolle.
In terms of form for the home side here, it's not the absolute worst. The club drew recently with Vitesse and Heerenveen just after they lost three in a row to sides further up the table, including a 1-0 defeat to league leaders Ajax.
Prior to this, however, Rotterdam beat Willem II 3-0, and this remains their most positive victory in the league this season and you must go back to the early days of this season to witness their only other victory in the league, as they beat Fortuna Sittard 3-1.
As for Waalwijk, they are just above the relegation zone by two points above Sittard, and five points above 17th-placed Rotterdam. The club have also let in more goals with 29 but have been in better form with a 5-0 KNVB Cup win over Harkemase Boys and a 2-1 win over NEC in the league.
Given how they have let in a combined 55 goals already this season and scored a worrying combined 32, not much action is expected between two sides seriously struggling for form. At the same time, 12 draws have been played out between the sides already this campaign.
Forebet predicts a draw and under 2.5 goals here with very little to choose from either side that could win them this must-not-lose Eredivisie clash which would keep Rotterdam in the drop at Christmas.