Eredivisie week 25

Friday:
PSV v Heerenveen
Saturday:
Willem II v Heracles
NAC v Sparta
Roda v De Graafschap
AZ v Groningen
Sunday:
Utrecht v Ajax
Feyenoord v Vitesse
Twente v Den Haag
Volendam v NEC

Top game this week is the Friday game at the Philips Stadion where Heerenveen travel to take on PSV. The Eindhoveners have been outstanding since getting shut of Huub Stevens and Heerenveen play a similar, open, counter-attacking style. This one should be a belter. As should AZ v Groningen. While Groningen have slipped a bit lately, they still go about things the 'right' way and with AZ playing a new brand of total football - well they are coached by Louis van Gaal - this should again be a thriller. Ajax go to Utrecht - a tough fixture for Marco van Basten's charges. Ajax were lucky last week, having wasted chance after chance before finally beating Volendam and Utrecht are unlikely to be as generous in defence. Also up at the top, Twente have to put UEFA Cup disappointment behind them - they lost 7-6 on penalties to Marseille - and get back on the horse against ADO.

NEC too suffered in midweek, Hamburg winning 1-0 and completing a 4-0 aggregate win over Mario Been's side, and they have a tricky one against Volendam. They're still rock bottom, but playing fairly well - certainly more so than their relegation rivals. They need to start turning fancy football into points sooner rather than later though or this nice play will be wasted. Feyenoord just pulled themselves away from immediate danger these last couple of weeks, but a game against Vitesse isn't what they need right now. Lose this and they're back in the mire and the Arnhem side are going OK. There's a proverbial six-pointer at Kerkrade where Roda face De Graafschap. Both sides are in terrible form and this will be won by the side that makes fewest mistakes. Sparta remain in trouble and travel to face UEFA Cup chasing NAC this week. Breda need points to maintain any chance they may have of European football whiel Sparta are beginning to look desperate. Willem II are in danger of being sucked into trouble at the bottom, but a home game against Heracles is just what they need now. Win it, and suddenly they look comfortable. Don't, and the knives will be out. It's all coming to a tipping point.