ERIK SAYS :

NAC BREDA

The biggest news in front of this game is the sacking of coach Ton Lokhoff by NAC. The results were far from good last 1,5 years and finally the decision has been made to appoint another coach: Cees Lok.

This former trainer of NEC made his debute as a coach of NAC last saturday when NAC beat Heeze 0-11 in a friendly game. New face on the side of NAC was Anouar Diba, who didn't play for NAC since he had an arguement with coach Lokhoff on the training a couple of months ago and walked out of the training.

Since Diba is a very fast attacking player with great skills it is good to see him on the field again and proved himself by scoring twice against Heeze. The other goals came from Van Hooijdonk (3), Vonlanthen (2), Jenner, Slot and Rigters.

NAC is currently on the 13th place with 19 points out of 17 games, scoring 20 goals and conceding 29. Their current home record is 4-2-3, winning against Willem (1-0), AZ (2-1), ADO Den Haag (4-1) and Heracles Almelo (2-1), drawing against FC Twente (1-1) and FC Groningen (2-2) and losing to SC Heerenveen (0-3), Ajax (0-2) and FC Utrecht (0-1).

The main goal this season is a place within the first nine, which ensures them to participate in the play-offs. Actually this is the only thing they still have to play for given their loss against NEC in the Gatorade Cup.

RKC WAALWIJK

Visitors RKC Waalwijk are currently 8th with 27 points out 17 games, scoring 33 and conceding 32.

RKC Waalwijk has got one lethal weapon: Rick Hoogendorp, scoring always and everywhere. He already netted 11 goals this season, six of them in the last 8 games on he really is the man in form.

Their away record this season is 3-1-5, winning their first three away games of the season to Willem II (1-2), NEC (1-3) and Heracles Almelo (0-2), drawing away to RBC Roosendaal (1-1) and losing to Vitesse (4-2), Ajax (4-1), AZ (3-0), ADO Den Haag (2-1) and FC Twente (0-2).

After a terrific start of the season with 15 points out of 5 games, they seemed to have lost their touch lately with 6 points out of the last 7 games.

It has to be noted that these games included big guns like Ajax, AZ and PSV. But RKC's away form is completely different from their home record (5-2-1).

HEAD TO HEAD

The two teams met earlier this season in Waalwijk with RKC winning 4-1, but this result was not according to the strength of both teams. RKC got a penalty in the first half and Van Hooijdonk ensured a 1-1 at HT.

After 55 minutes Molhoek scored the 2-1 and the 3-1 and 4-1 were two counters scored in the last 4 minutes when NAC was attacking for the 2-2, including their whole defence.

NAC has had some problems with RKC Waalwijk for the last years and this match has become a classic derby between the two teams from Brabant.

Previous confrontations :
29/10/2005 RKC Waalwijk - NAC Breda 4-1
20/02/2005 RKC Waalwijk - NAC Breda 1-0
26/09/2004 NAC Breda - RKC Waalwijk 0-4
16/05/2004 NAC Breda - RKC Waalwijk 5-3
28/09/2003 RKC Waalwijk - NAC Breda 2-0
18/05/2003 RKC Waalwijk - NAC Breda 2-3
14/12/2002 NAC Breda - RKC Waalwijk 1-0
20/04/2002 RKC Waalwijk - NAC Breda 4-1
08/12/2001 NAC Breda - RKC Waalwijk 0-1
02/03/2001 RKC Waalwijk - NAC Breda 0-0

Team news ; injuries : line-ups

For NAC Penders and Zonneveld are injured and Zwaanswijk is suspended. Cees Lok promised to play very attacking football this year and given the probable line-up he seems to hold his word:

NAC: Van Zwam, Elshot, Van Engelen, Vidmar, Kerstens, Jenner, Van Gessel, Slot , Diba, Van Hooijdonk and Vonlanthen

For RKC Benjamin de Ceulaer is back from his injury and will play against NAC.

RKC: Van Dijk, van Diemen, Keller, Teixeira, van Haaren, Molhoek, De Ceulaer, Fuchs, Zuiverloon, Hoogendorp and Martens

Analysis

I am tempted to go for the home win here, but given the fact I support NAC here are some argumetst for this choice:

Cees Lok does something Lokhoff has lacked for the last year: use the players you have on the positions they play best! Van Hooijdonk isn't the fastest player with the ball, he cannot dribble past three opponents and score.

Jenner and Diba are very much able to do so and with Van Hooijdonk as striker they have to make sure the ball is delivered there. The last months NAC hasn't been able to use both flanks in order to use the pitch to its fullest and tried to pass the ball through the middle, which is a shame with two fast players on the left and right side.

Lok seems to have seen this and therefore starts with Vonlanthen and Van Hooijdonk as the two strikes with Diba and Jenner on the midfield to ensure the speed in the game and Slot for the creativity.

Finally the starting XI of NAC are the eleven I would like to see on the field and I would go to the stadium for. I only hope that the team will perform as well on the field as it should do on paper.

Second RKC's away record is quite poor 3-1-5, mentioning that they won their first three away games and lost their last 5 out of 6.

The Verdict

Together with the "shock effect" of the new coach I will go for the home win with medium stakes at a nice 2.25 (general). Odds can be found up to 2.40 on the exchanges.

PERCENTAGE ESTIMATE :

Breda 50% - Draw 30% - Waalwijk 20%

FIXED ODDS BETTING :

Take NAC BREDA to win.