With the international break finally over, there are loads of great games to look forward to in the Eredivisie. Matchday four saw all but one match provide us with two or more goals. Feyenoord knocked five past Utrecht, PSV played superbly in their 4-0 thrashing over Waalwijk, and Go Ahead Eagles nicked all three points off Heerenveen in a thrilling 3-2 victory.Â
Now, we’ve got eight more exciting games spread out across the weekend. As we head into Matchday five, here are five things to keep an eye on.
Feyenoord’s fantastic form in front of goal to continue against Heerenveen
After four Eredivisie games, Feyenoord are the highest scoring team, having netted 13 times so far. Last season’s champions have an abundance of firepower. Santiago Giménez, Calvin Stengs, Igor Paixao, Yankuba Minteh and Ayase Ueda have all opened their goal scoring accounts for the season. This weekend they take on Heerenveen, who have conceded six goals already this season.Â
Heerenveen will head into this clash determined to cause an upset, but with the match taking place at De Kuip, there won’t be many people backing them to take points off Arne Slot’s side. Feyenoord lost just one home league game throughout the whole of last season.Â
The host’s only issue heading into this fixture is that record summer signing Ayase Ueda has been ruled out of action for weeks due to injury. The Japan international’s absence could be an issue. Kick-off for this game is at 15:30 BST on Saturday the 16th of September.
Ron Jans takes charge of his first game as Utrecht manager
FC Utrecht were busy during the international break. The side that finished in seventh place last season sacked their head coach Michael Silberbauer, two weeks ago, after a dismal start to the new campaign. Former FC Twente boss Ron Jans has come in to succeed Silberbauer. Having lost all four of their games so far this season, there’s hope that Jans can turn things around.
It certainly won’t be easy for Utrecht, as they take on newly promoted Heracles away from home. The hosts have won two out of their first three games and look like a threat. Heracles will be hoping to continue their strong start to the season, but the new manager bounce could come into play for Ron Jans and Utrecht. Kick-off for this game is at 20:00 BST on Saturday the 16th of September.
Ajax take on Twente as their tough start to the season looks set to continue
It’s been an incredibly disappointing start to the season for Ajax who have already dropped points in three of their opening four league games. Head coach Maurice Steijn has only seen his side win once since his appointment in June and things don’t seem to be getting any easier for the former Sparta Rotterdam manager. This Sunday they take on Twente away from home, before taking on Marseille in the Europa League. The following weekend, Ajax play Feyenoord in De Klassieker.Â
Twente are currently third in the Eredivisie table, with three wins from their first three games. De Grolsch Veste is a tough place for any team to visit and they proved that by not losing a single home game last season. Twente even beat Ajax 3-1 on the final day of the campaign.
Ajax made 12 signings in the summer and it seems to be taking them time to gel. If Chuba Akpom and Georges Mikautadze are fed the ball enough, then this weekend’s clash could be completely different to Matchday four’s goalless draw with Fortuna Sittard. For now, Twente look more likely to come out on top. Kick-off for this game is at 13:30 BST on Sunday the 17th of September.
Vangelis Pavlidis to continue his incredible goal scoring form for AZ against Sparta Rotterdam
Last season’s Eredivisie top goal scorers were Xavi Simons (PSV) and Tasos Douvikas (Utrecht), who both netted 19 times. Already this season, within three games, AZ Alkmaar striker Vangelis Pavlidis has scored five goals. The Greece international is in red-hot form and he’ll be looking to add to his tally in AZ’s game against Sparta Rotterdam this weekend.Â
Sparta Rotterdam are definitely dark horses this season. The club finished in sixth place last season with Maurice Steijn in charge and they kicked off this campaign with two wins and two draws. That certainly won’t stop Vangelis Pavlidis from finding the back of the net. Kick-off for this game is at 15:45 BST on Sunday the 17th of September.
Almere City to claim their first ever point in the Eredivisie
Newly promoted Almere City have experienced a tough start to life in the top flight. They’ve lost all four of their games in what is their first-ever season in the Eredivisie. This weekend they take on Excelsior away from home. The Rotterdam club have lost one and drawn two of their three games so far, and a draw feels like the most likely outcome for this fixture.Â
If Almere can stay strong defensively, they could nick their first-ever point in the Eredivisie. Kick-off for this game is at 13:30 BST on Sunday the 17th of September.
