RKC vs Maastricht Predictions

This fixture hardly jumps off the page on match day 17, but we could be set for a fascinating encounter between two teams who’ve been steadily moving in the right direction of late. Hosts RKC have won two out of their last three Eerste Divisie fixtures, whilst visitors MVV have worked their way into the top half of the table after notching seven points from a possible nine in recent weeks. We should be set for a close one here in Waalwijk, but which team if any can emerge victorious?

RKC endured a bit of a set-back last week as they went down 2-0 at Dordrecht, but fans won’t be too disheartened yet after their side had secured consecutive league wins and clean sheets against NEC (1-0) and Helmond Sport (0-2) on match days 14 and 15.

Fred Grim’s charges are still 16^th in the table but are seven points clear of the bottom four following those important victories, and can continue to look up now with just six points separating them from Friday’s opponents MVV who round off the top half of the table in 10^th.

Waalwijk are unbeaten in their last four league clashes with the Maastricht outfit which will give them confidence heading into this Friday’s fixture, but they’ll need to pull out a good bit more at Mandemakers Stadion to bank all three points, with MVV performing well on the road so far this term.

The visitors have accrued 15 points from their eight away outings this season which rates pretty highly in the second tier, and wins to nil against Twente and defending champions Jong Ajax add some substance to that form.

With just six points now separating MVV from the top five, Ron Elsen’s side will be charged up for this one as they know positive results here and against Twente and Cambuur in the coming weeks could leave them potentially close the Play-off places at Christmas.

We don’t think MVV are good value at the prices here though considering RKC have lost just one of their last five fixtures in Waalwijk, and although the visitors are the more likely winners, we want to turn our attention to the goals market instead.

The previous four meetings between this pair have all featured less than 2.5 goals, and games involving both of these clubs this season tip favourably in the same direction, with 63% MVV’s fixtures featuring less than three goals and 56% of RKC’s the same.

There’s been less than three scored in each of the last three Eerste Divisie matches for both teams, and overall under 2.5 goals warrants plenty of interest here at a shade of odds-on.

We don’t think there will be much between the teams on the night and we can see this ending 1-1 at full time, just as it has in two of those previous four encounters between the clubs.