Roda JC v Jong Ajax

Plenty of football this Friday, as the Eerste Divisie has got a full round on. The match between Roda JC and Jong Ajax is immediately an interesting one. Roda JC struggled with the defensive setup employed by Jong AZ last week. It looked like it was going to finish in a stalemate, but Roda took the victory after an unfortunate own goal.

Jong Ajax were well too strong for TOP Oss, but that was barely a surprise, as Jong Ajax had several first team players starting. Mohammed Daramy and Kenneth Taylor regularly get minutes in both sides, but they even added Bryan Brobbey to the academy side for the match against TOP. Brobbey would probably be in the starting XI in 15/16 out of 18 top-flight teams but doesn’t get too much playing time at the first team lately, so got a chance to gain match fitness in the academy team.

With Mo Ihattaren in a key role as well, TOP got dealt the bad hand against so many potential first team players. Against Roda JC that will be different, it is unlikely that Ihattaren will be pushed on to the first team already, but Brobbey, Taylor and Daramy will surely not be with Jong Ajax this time, as the first team plays on Saturday.

That should play into Roda’s hand. Roda are in full fight for the play-offs and their form in 2022 has been so good that they are even still in the running for direct promotion. With only five matches to go and six points less than second placed FC Volendam, there is no margin of error. Roda will probably still be without centre back Richard Jensen, but isn’t expected to miss more of their usual starting XI. Roda are in great form, but the biggest reason I’d put my money on them is because Jong Ajax’s strength is affected massively by the first team being scheduled to play the day after.

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NAC Breda v VVV Venlo

NAC Breda played a disappointing match against a strengthened Jong FC Utrecht on Monday. FC Utrecht did the same thing as Jong Ajax; several regulars from the first team played the Monday night game for some match fitness and that cost NAC. However, they still look good for a spot in the promotion play-offs, but have to finish ahead of de Graafschap, or hope that Almere City lose form and won’t win the fourth phase mini-league.

VVV were a shambles against ADO Den Haag on Friday. On April Fools’ Day, they looked an absolute joke in their own stadium, swallowing a 5-0 defeat. For VVV, the season looks pretty much over. They only have a chance on the play-offs if they make up eight points on NAC, but the last match showed that they seem to have given up on an already disappointing season.

NAC’s recent form has been decent, despite a big covid outbreak last month. They were unlucky against Jong FC Utrecht last week, but I don’t think they have suddenly dropped much form. They need to make up two points on de Graafschap to not depend on any of the other factors for the promotion play-offs and that seems reasonable. They can’t lose too many more points, though, and VVV seem a perfect opponent to get back to winning ways, so I’d go for a home victory.

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FC Emmen v Jong AZ

Jong AZ showed once again that they have a very organised defence that’s hard to beat. The last match against Roda JC would have probably finished 0-0 if it wasn’t for a miscommunication that ended in an own goal after 80 minutes. FC Emmen is heading straight for the title. The draw against de Graafschap last week was a bit surprising, but it didn’t really hurt Emmen, because none of the direct rivals won their game. In fact, the point brought them a step closer to promotion, as several of their rivals didn’t even manage that.

Like Jong AZ, FC Emmen is a team that barely concedes. They have a well-organised defence and never really go all out attack in the search for lots of goals. Striker Reda Kharchouch finally seemed to hit form in March, but in his last games, he looked a bit stuck in the Emmen system, where he doesn’t get that many chances. Emmen are boasting a nine-point lead with five games to go, so they look pretty much there, but I don’t see them take any unnecessary risks until they have promotion secured. Unless Jong AZ somehow take an early lead, I don’t think either of the teams are up for spectacular football, hence why I think it will be a match with few goals.

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Excelsior v Telstar

Excelsior are looking for a response after a shocking 3-0 defeat against Almere City. Almere has been in great form, but nobody expected them to claim such a seemingly easy victory against Excelsior, who could have made a huge step towards direct promotion. After the cagey first half in which neither team really showed their hand, Almere took control in the second half and Excelsior seemed to implode after the 1-0.

Telstar on the other hand has got nothing to play for. Their season didn’t have much in it and the current 17th place sums that up perfectly. Telstar have been missing several players in the last weeks and that showed in the last game, as they didn’t really have a chance at home against a weak team like FC Den Bosch. It doesn’t look like Telstar will be compete anytime soon, so I don’t see why they can create trouble against a team like Excelsior, with probably the best-attacking force in the league. Excelsior on the other hand seems to be at full strength for this game. With Thijs Dallinga and Marouan Azarkan they possess a lot of power going forward. After the shocking defeat last week, I doubt they will show any form of complacency, so I fully expect a home victory here

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