FC Volendam need to start picking up points quickly if they are to remain in with a chance of surviving this season. The side at the bottom of the Eredivisie have not won since returning from the winter break, picking up just two points from a possible 21. Last time out they were once again beaten at home, with SC Heerenveen sticking four past them.
This Friday they face another club fighting for a place in the top eight. NEC Nijmegen made the KNVB Cup final this week with a stoppage time win over second tier Cambuur, so perhaps some fatigue could help Volendam. However, NEC’s form is a stark contrast to their struggling opponents. They have only lost once in 2024, a surprise defeat away to strugglers RKC Waalwijk. This has them sitting in seventh place, just three points behind Ajax in fifth.
The away side will be hoping that Koki Ogawa can continue to find the net. The Japanese striker has scored 11 goals in 25 games for the club this season, having joined in the summer on loan from Yokohama FC.
For Volendam, both Bilal Ould-Chikh and Robert Mühren are their best attacking hopes. The former has grabbed five assists and the latter five goals. Yet at the other end they ahve conceded a mammoth 57 in just 23 games. After Vitesse won last weekend, the gap between the clubs is now three points. Safety remains eight points away, a seemingly impossible task.
GBeNeFNÂ |Â Ben Jackson
