Sparta Rotterdam vs AZ Reserves Predictions

Automatic promotion contenders Sparta Rotterdam were shocked 3-0 by bottom club Helmond Sport a fortnight ago, but responded in the best possible way last week with a 6-1 thrashing of Almere City at Het Kasteel. Henk Fraser’s side turn out again in Rotterdam this Friday evening, and should have few problems getting past Jong AZ as they seek their ninth win from ten at home in the league this season.

Many teams may still have been licking wounds after a hammering at the hands of the league’s bottom club, but Sparta Rotterdam showed the qualities of potential champions last week to bounce back in emphatic style at home to Almere City.

Eerste Divisie top scorer Lars Veldwijk was back in the thick of the goals – the South African bagged a hat-trick to take his tally for the campaign to 16 as Henk Fraser’s men romped their way to a 6-1 victory over 7^th placed Schapenkoppen.

It was Sparta’s eighth win from nine league matches at Het Kasteel this term, and the result nudged them back up to 2^nd in the table on goal difference after Go Ahead Eagles triumphed by the narrowest of margins against Sparta’s match day 16 conquerors Helmond Sport.

Obviously with just one automatic promotion place available, Sparta only have eyes for top spot and they head into this week’s encounter with Jong AZ one point behind Den Bosch, who kept up their amazing form with a battling 3-2 success against NEC.

But the leaders are potentially vulnerable this week as they take on Go Ahead in Deventer, so Sparta know that another home win this Friday could be good enough to take them back to the summit of Eerste Divisie going into the final round of league fixtures before Christmas.

And Sparta shouldn’t really face much resistance from the visitors who are now without a win in 12 after last week’s 0-2 home defeat against Telstar.

Jong have just one victory to their name all season from 17 outings, and that came in Alkmaar on match day five. On the road, they’ve drawn four and lost four of their eight games, conceding 16 goals in the process.

So considering Sparta have eight wins and a draw from their nine home matches this season, a turn up this Friday is far more unlikely than Jong’s odds of around 8/1 suggests, and Lars Veldwijk could have an absolute field day again with that hat-trick last week restoring his confidence to the max.

Now the 2/9 about Sparta for the win alone obviously makes little appeal to the majority of punters despite them rating as near certainties on paper, but backing a home victory with both teams to score offers good value here.

Sparta have conceded in three of their last four home games, whilst Jong, to their credit, have hit the net in all eight of their away fixtures this season.

The slight caveat here is that the visitors have been heavily reliant on Ferdy Druijf for goals this season (Druijf has hit 13 of Jong’s 21 league goals), and the 20 year-old hotshot has recently been drafted into the senior AZ Alkmaar side on the back of his strong form.

So like last week, Druijf could be absent for this one, but a bet on Sparta to win and both teams to score is still warranted at the prices, and a 4-1 score line stands out for us in the correct score market.