Twente vs FC Volendam Predictions

Xandro Schenk netted his first goal for Twente to seal a 0-2 success away to Oss on match day 28, and the league leaders hold what looks to be an unassailable ten point advantage at the top of the second tier heading into this Friday’s home encounter with Volendam. Marino Pusic’s side have won 11 and drawn one of their last 12 league games, and they should be far too strong for a Volendam team who have won just one of their last six outings.

Twente’s victory at Oss and Sparta Rotterdam’s failure to beat FC Eindhoven last Friday has made thing even more comfortable for the Enschede outfit at the top of the standings, and their lead is effectively 11 points with ten to play considering they are some 17 goals better off than Go Ahead Eagles, who moved into 2^nd spot on match day 28 with a 0-1 triumph against Twente’s upcoming opponents Volendam.

That was Volendam’s first reversal in seven matches which shows just what a tough outfit they can be, however they have typically come up short against the best sides in the division this term as earlier defeats to Sparta Rotterdam and Twente imply.

Twente edged out Hans De Koning’s men 1-2 at Kras Stadion back in December to record their 11^th win from 15 previous meetings against Palingboeren, and the Enschede club are rightly odds-on favourites to come out best again here when the teams clash at De Grolsch Veste on Friday evening.

Twente have been far from perfect in their own back yard this season having lost four from 13, but the majority of those defeats came earlier in the campaign when the former Dutch champions were evidently acclimatising to life in the second tier.

Pusic’s side have been truly rampant from the start of December onwards to amass 34 points from a possible 36 and that run has included four consecutive home wins with eight goals scored for the concession of just one.

Volendam will be encouraged by the fact they are unbeaten in five on the road as they prepare to travel to Enschede, however a 1-1 draw against 18^th placed Jong AZ in Alkmaar a fortnight ago is hardly hitting the standard which will be required of them here if they are to secure a positive result.

One thing to note with the visitors though is their consistency scoring on their travels, and they have managed to bag at least one goal in their last nine away matches.

So although Twente have kept three clean sheets from their last four at home, the hosts have conceded in nine of their 13 games overall at De Grolsch Veste this term – meaning there is some mileage in backing a Twente win with both teams to score.

That’s our selection for this Friday’s action but we’re also going for 3-1 correct score as we ultimately envisage the league leaders banking the points with a fair degree of ease.