Utrecht vs De Graafschap Predictions

Utrecht play host to De Graafschap in the Eredivisie on Sunday, and with both teams losing their matches before the international break each will be eager to return to winning ways this weekend. Utrecht sit eighth in the table and could move into the top four with a win on Sunday, while De Graafschap are currently performing the worst of the three newly promoted clubs as they sit second from bottom in the relegation zone.

Utrecht can count themselves unlucky not to have picked up at least a point from their trip to Arnhem before the international break after having 51% of the possession, more corners, and more shots on target than their hosts. However, after a goalless first half it was Vitesse who took the lead in the fifty-eighth minute through the clubs top scorer last season, Linssen. Things went from bad to worse for the visitors shortly after when Norwegian prodigy Martin Ødegaard made it 2-0 just after the hour mark. In the seventy-eighth minute Utrecht finally got themselves on the scoreboard through Dessers, but the visitors could not find another breakthrough and lost the game 2-1.

Considering Utrecht could break into the top four with a win this weekend it’s surprising to see that they, as of yet, don’t have anyone in their squad on more than two Eredivisie goals for the season. Dessers, Emanuelson, and Gustafson, to name but a few, have all scored twice in the league so far this season, but Utrecht are lacking a striker in form and would surely be higher in the league if they had,had one at their disposal from the beginning of the season.

Even El Jebli and Serrarens have both scored three goals each in the league for De Graafschap this season, and while that’s not a big total either you wouldn’t expect a newly promoted club to score a lot of goals in their first season back in the top flight.

De Graafschap were convincingly beaten 4-1 at home by the steam train that is PSV Eindhoven last time out, with the visitors continuing their 100% record in the Eredivisie in style. De Graafschap created some chances, but with 57% of the possession and nine shots on target to the hosts one, the result was never in doubt. Goals from de Jong and Bergwijn saw PSV leading 2-1 at the break, with El Jebli’s equaliser only keeping the hosts on level terms for six minutes. In the second half Malen and de Jong added another two goals to keep PSV’s winning run going, and De Graafschap can have no complaints about the final score.

With form on their side, the hosts Utrecht head into Sunday’s game as the favourites to take all three points and with the way both teams have been playing, we’re hoping for an open, end to end game with plenty of goalmouth action. We’re confident that Utrecht will win and that over 2.5 goals will be scored in the process, with the scoreline ending 3-1. Utrecht have won five of their last six matches in all competitions, while De Graafschap have lost five of theirs. Over 2.5 goals have been scored in five of Utrecht’s and five of De Graafschap’s last six matches, and we’re expecting more of the same on Sunday.