PSV v Heracles Almelo

Whilst the season is still long, PSV in a matter of two weeks have gone from a 'battle for second' back to being only two points off Ajax at the Eredivisie summit because of their slip-up. The Eindhoven side continue to just pick up narrow wins against the mid-table sides despite their struggles against sides at the top of the table. Roger Schmidt's rotation policy works to a certain extent when you see substitutes picking up late winners!

Will they need a last-minute escape at home to Heracles? I think not. I seem to write a lot about Heracles' dramatic difference between home form and away form, but it does impact my thoughts again on this game: they are bottom of the away Eredivisie table on only two points all season. Sometimes Frank Wormuth's side can play some nice football, but they won't be able to withstand PSV's pressure.

Noni Madueke has been showing some excellent moments in his return from injury. His pace and quick feet have caused problems to Eredivisie sides. I think a PSV win and over 2.5 goals is likely given that PSV have goals galore in their side when they're firing, and they've failed to keep a clean sheet in their last four.

FC Twente v Cambuur

In Twente's 1-2 win against RKC last Friday, Ron Jans's men played some good football but missed big chances - some absolute sitters! They deserved the late winner but it came in fortuitous fashion. Despite this, they continue to impress with their young team without many big names; it feels like it's all just come together for Jans, who is a good manager but never successfully led a team quite this high in the division before.

Cambuur would have won a 'both teams to score' bet in all but one of their previous fourteen matches. This could work again here. Twente have scored in every home game this season apart from when they lost to Feyenoord in November. Cambuur won their first game in a while last time out, but there were times where their last opponents (relegation-threatened Fortuna) were on top and they could have been out of sight by half time.

I think Twente will enjoy another good afternoon and I will back them to score two or more given how creative they have been recently. Cambuur struggle to keep clean sheets, whereas Twente look more solid, especially with Lars Unnerstall in goal, who is one of the league's best goalkeepers.

NEC Nijmegen v AZ Alkmaar

AZ will need to recover from the major blow of losing their long unbeaten streak and failure to reach the Dutch Cup final. Pascal Jansen got the tactics wrong against Ajax in their mid-week loss. Even though Ajax are the best team at the moment in the Netherlands, AZ have been so impressive, and their opportunity to reach the final with that home fixture (where they have been so good) will have disappointed fans and players alike. AZ don't want to be a 'nearly side' this season now that they've managed to turn around early-season disappointment; they want something to show for their development.

NEC have been plodding along in mid-table, which will please fans, but it is hard to predict where NEC's next win will come from. They have the potential to upset AZ here, but they have only kept one clean sheet in their last seven games in all competitions - defence was their strength for much of this campaign - now teams are finding ways around their back five. AZ have also scored two or more goals in each of their last five away games, and if NEC are willing to play a more open style, I think the Alkmaar side will carve out many opportunities.

Fortuna Sittard v PEC Zwolle

A relegation cracker ends the Eredivisie weekend. Sixteenth plays eighteenth - a win leapfrogs bottom side Zwolle above Fortuna with only two points separating them. I'm expecting a tense game, just like it was the last time these two sides met at the start of Winter. Fortuna edged the game last time 0-1 and I think the same thing will happen here.

PEC Zwolle weren't so good in their last match, losing at Heracles and they looked a shadow of the side that had been scoring goals and being far more competitive in their relegation scrap. Because of that, I can't see them getting that win that lifts them off last place.

Fortuna have more attacking quality, with the height of Charlison Benschop useful as an extra dimension to Mats Seuntjens and Zian Flemming. Their problem has been keeping clean sheets this season, which may prevent their route to an important victory. Though I do think the fixture list is kinder to them in the coming six weeks, with four winnable home games coming up, including this one, so I think they will dig themselves out of trouble…just.

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