DE GRAAFSCHAP v WILLEM II
Football : Holland : Eredivisie
Friday 4th March 2011 – Kickoff 7.45pm

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14th placed De Graafschap take on rock-bottom Willem II on Friday night, and the home side will be looking to extend their unbeaten home run to six matches against the relegation favourites.

De Graafschap

However, it is only one win in their last five at home also as De Graafschap have drawn their last four; 1-1 v Vitesse, 0-0 against PSV and Utrecht, and 1-1 v Groningen.

Their home record suggests quite rightly, that De Graaafschap are a very hard unit to break down on home ground with a 4-6-2 16/17 record, losing just twice to Ajax 0-5 and NEC 1-4. They do grind out results, particularly at home and against weaker opposition like tonight’s match, they should again edge this one.

Top scorer is striker Rydell Poepon (9 goals) and he's backed up by Hugo Bargas (5 goals). However, they will be without midfielders Rogier Meijer, Youssouf Hersi (2 goals) and defender Vito Wormgoor, as they look to build on their hard-fought draw at Roda last weekend.

Willem II

Tonight's opponents, Willem, will be more confident going into this match than they would have been at half-time last weekend; they trailed 0-2 to Heerenveen at the break and were seemingly heading for their 19th defeat, however, an impressive second half fight-back saw the basement dwellers secure a valuable win, overcoming Heerenveen 4-3 in the end.

However, this doesn't alter the fact that Willem's first half display was woeful and against stronger sides, this deficit would have been doubled. I doubt they will be afforded the luxury of a second half fightback at De Graafschap.

Willem II's away record is without doubt the worst in the division standing at a miserable 0-2-11 7/38, they have conceded the most amount of goals on the road, and are just one goal to the good over Excelsior in the lowest goals for away from home.

Willem will be without Andreas Landgren (2 goals), Gerson Sheotahul and Evgeniy Levchenko (2 goals). Striker Maceo Rigeters may be remembered by fans of English football, the former Blackburn Rovers forward now plying his trade in the Eredivisie.

The Betting Verdict :

De Graafschap have to be favourites for this one, but the odds for a straight win are not great – so instead I'm backing the home side to be the only scorers tonight. De Graafschap to win 1-0 perhaps.

The Pick :

De Graafschap 1-0 Willem II

FIXED ODDS BETTING :

Main Pick: Take De Graafschap to win to nil @ 2.60 with bet365