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AZ Reserves vs FC Den Bosch Predictions

  • 19:00
  • Expired
  • AFAS Stadion
AZ Reserves
FC Den Bosch

odds when tipped

odds when tipped

AZ Reserves vs FC Den Bosch Predictions

A run of one draw and two defeats from their last three Eerste Divisie games has seen long time Eerste Divisie leaders Den Bosch slip six points behind rivals Twente in the race for automatic promotion, and there’s huge pressure on The Blue White Dragons to return to winning ways this Friday evening when they square off against 18th placed Jong AZ at AFAS Stadion. After comfortably seeing off the second tier minnows earlier in the campaign, can Wil Boessen’s side repeat the trick here to keep their championship hopes alive?

After back to back away defeats against FC Eindhoven (2-0) and RKC (2-1), Den Bosch did at least steady the ship with their 1-1 draw at home to Volendam last week, but they’ll have been disappointed not to have found a way past 14th placed Palingboeren after Sven Blummel cancelled out Boy Deul’s opener.

Den Bosch were romping their way through teams in the first half of the campaign as they soared to the top of the table, but they’re remarkable 16 match unbeaten streak (of which they won 13) seems a bit of a distant memory now.

Such a run would ordinarily be enough to sustain a challenge for top spot, but Den Bosch’s heroics came on the back of a poor start to the season – form which they’ve been replicating somewhat over the past three weeks.

Of course, it’s a little too early to say that the light has gone out this term for The Blue White Dragons, but their main problem lies with rivals Twente who have taken maximum advantage from their recent slump.

The Enschede outfit are six points to the good heading into match day 25, but Den Bosch do have the chance to at least temporarily reduce their arrears to three with Twente not in action until Monday night when they face a difficult trip to 4th placed Jong PSV.

Even an under par Den Bosch should be winning here at AFAS Stadion, where hosts Jong AZ have won just twice all season from 12 outings.

Michel Vonk’s men have lost 14 of their 24 league games in total this term, and proved no match for Den Bosch earlier in the campaign when The Blue White Dragons ran out 3-1 winners at Stadion De Vliert.

Jong have enjoyed a little more success since the turn of the year with two victories bagged from five matches (1-3 vs Jong Utrecht, 2-1 vs Cambuur), but it’s hard to envisage them causing the visitors too many problems here, even though Den Bosch are seeking to rebuild their confidence following a tough spell.

Such would incline us to avoid the match betting here were Den Bosch to be priced up as heavy odds-on favourites, but the 8/11 mark actually looks quite fair for Wil Boessen’s team with the bookies possibly overreacting and not factoring in the clear gulf in class between these sides.

Had they been in better nick, we’d probably have plumped for a ‘win to nil’ for Den Bosch considering they’ve kept clean sheets in 33% of their matches this term, but we’ll instead play safe and simply back them to notch a much needed three points, with 0-2 our predicted correct score.

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