Groningen V Waalwijk
Friday 4 October 2019 – 19:00 Kick-Off
Netherlands Eredivisie
Pick: Over 3.5 Goals
Odds: 11/8
Bookmaker: Betfair
 |
1 | X | 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 37/100 | 21/5 | 123/20 |
* (All betting odds displayed were correct as of 2 October 2019 at 18:00)
Preview: Over five years have passed since their last meeting. However, Groningen and Waalwijk will finally meet again on Friday inside the Eurobog stadium, which is home to the former who also happen to be strong favourites to win this contest. Will the home side justify favouritism by recording a routine victory?
Netherlands Eredivisie Betting – 22Bet
Groningen Preview – Hosts targeting a big scoreline?
Beginning this game one point above the relegation play-offs, it would be fair to describe Groningen as a team under pressure to deliver a rare victory on Friday against the poorest team in the entire division. The team dubbed ‘Pride of the North’ have taken only seven points out of a possible 24 to sit 13th in the Eredivisie standings (W2 D1 L5, GF7 GA12).
Their early cause has not been aided by some incredibly tough fixtures. Successive meetings away to the two best teams in the country – Ajax (2-0) and PSV Eindhoven (3-1) – directly preceded this fixture, and while both would end in comfortable-looking losses, Groningen would actually give a decent account of themselves in both. Midfielder Ramon Lundqvist would briefly make the score 2-1 at PSV, while Ajax needed to score twice inside the final 15 minutes to ensure the points.
Some positives to be garnered from those endeavours therefore. Now the onus will fall on them to play aggressively on the front foot in search of goals. There is every chance of that occurring as well, as although their record on their own patch has been disappointing this season (W1 L2), it was at home where the bulk of their points (31/45) were earned in the previous campaign (W10 D1 L6). Moreover, they were 2-0 victors over PEC Zwolle last time out at home.
Waalwijk Preview – Can hapless visitors produce a shock outcome?
There were eight better teams over the course of the previous campaign than RKC Waalwijk – and that was in the division below! The club would profit in the play-offs despite only securing an eighth-place finish in the Eerste Divisie. Therefore it should come as little surprise seeing them already occupying last place in the Eredivisie standings. The only genuine shock being the sheer gulf in quality which has separated them and virtually every opposing side faced thus far.
After eight games played, only FC Twente have been unsuccessful in recording a win over Fred Grim’s team, whose surname seems an appropriate description for their season to date with his team rooted to the foot of the table (W0 D1 L7, GF6 GA28). That aforementioned contest would finish 3-3 in what was one of numerous goal-laden encounters involving this team. Seven of their contests would feature a minimum of three match goals.
In fact, Waalwijk are not only searching for a first win since promotion but are also aiming to finish their first game without shipping two goals or more. This statistic can be keenly felt away from home, where they have conceded four goals on average and succumbed to some brutal defeats: VVV (3-1), PEC Zwolle (6-2) and Sparta Rotterdam (4-0) all went big versus them. The one positive, however, would be the fact they have only managed one blank themselves in front of goal on their travels.
Groningen V Waalwijk Key Facts:
- Groningen have won twice all season (W2 D1 L5) but would claim a 2-0 victory against PEC Zwolle last time out at home.
- Waalwijk are still to record their first league victory of the season (W0 D1 L7), losing 4-0 in their latest away showing at Sparta Rotterdam.
- This will be their first meeting for over five years, with Groningen not losing the previous four (W2 D2).
Betting Summary
Some light at the end of the tunnel for Groningen, who after facing unquestionably the two toughest fixtures on the schedule recently, losing away to both Ajax (2-0) and PSV (3-1), can now look forward to what should be the easiest of the lot. Their form at home, however, has not been all that encouraging so far (W1 L2), although they were victorious last time out there and could boast a tidy record on home soil in 2018/19 (W10 D1 L6).
Waalwijk have looked seriously out of their depth even at this early stage. Losing 2-1 at home to Vitesse Arnhem in their most recent fixture made it seven defeats in eight league games, yet the most alarming aspect has been the sheer volume goals being conceded: 26 in total, 16 of which coming away from home where they are averaging four goals conceded per away game. They have, at least, scored themselves in three of four said matches.
Even bearing in mind the slow nature in which their season has begun, it is easy to see why the home side are such overwhelming favourites here. It would be a big surprise were Groningen not to pick up their third win of the season, and they really ought to do so handsomely. An alternative, however, could be a simple bet on goals.
