Eredivisie: Top level vs subpar, at least based on the league table. Sparta Rotterdam - Vitesse. Home win or a surprise?
- Sparta Rotterdam have the fewest dropped points from leading position (5) in Eredivisie
- Vitesse haven’t played a single 0-0 game away.
It should be mentioned that Vitesse play their home matches on grass, so they have to adjust for this one as it's played on artifical turf. Does it matter? Recent statistics for Vitesse on artifical turf are 4 victories, 2 draws and 3 defeats from nine games. In these matches they have a goal statistics scored/conceded: 15-12. You can compare this with overall results below.
Both teams should be fairly well rested for this game, as they have had some quiet days to prepare. Hopefully this will translate into lots of action on the pitch.
Sparta Rotterdam form and stats
7-2-3 (win-draw-lost) are the Eredivisie numbers at home for Sparta Rotterdam so far this season.
A strong away win for Sparta Rotterdam against Excelsior the last match, as Vriends, Saito and Lauritsen were on target. Midfielder van Crooij was the best player on the team with a rating of 8.11 (out of ten) in that game. Crooij signed up for two assists, hit four key passes, dribled past the opponent 1 of 2 times and had 30 successful passes (of 34 total).
Before that game, the home loss against FC Utrecht with the scoreline 0-3.The bookmakers consider this a fairly even contest. One could say only the home advantage separates the teams. It could be relevant to look at how Rotterdam have performed in matches similar to this (as small favourites). Our database has found 5 matches with the results: Won 3, drawn 2 and lost 0.
A decent goal production from Sparta Rotterdam in their home games so far, with 20 goals from 12 league matches. It's been trouble in front of goal recently, as only 2 of these goals has been scored in their last three home matches.
Vitesse form and stats
3 wins, 4 draws and 5 losses. That’s the product of Vitesse playing as the away team in the Eredivisie this season. Three has not been a lucky number for Vitesse as they have been defeated three times in a row since the FC Utrecht match.
Vitesse failed to get anything from their last game, a home match vs AZ (placed 3rd) that ended with defeat 0-1.
A loss against Ajax was the result prior to that, in a home game.So, this is expected to be a close game, an even contest. Looking at earlier matches with Vitesse playing away and similar expectations, we found 5 relevant matches. Results were 3 Vitesse wins, 1 draw and 1 defeat.
Scoring goals is the main ingredient in creating success in football, and not only at home. So far Vitesse have scored 15 goals in 12 league games away. Vitesse's defence is not exactly unbeatable as they have conceded 18 goals from these trips.
Head 2 Head
Vitesse - Rotterdam 0-4 was the output when these squads last played each other, also in this season. Previous ten meetings with these participants: Sparta Rotterdam won five, Vitesse were winners in four and we saw one draw. five games with over 2,5 goals, five matches with two goals or less.
Top Goalscorers
  V. van Crooij 8 goals |  T. Lauritsen 8 goals |  A. Verschueren 7 goals |
Sparta Rotterdam missing players
Vitesse missing players
| Sparta Rotterdam | Vitesse | ||||||
| Total | Home | vs | Statistics | Stat | vs | Away | Total |
| 24 | 12 | 4 | Played | P | 4 | 12 | 24 |
| 11 | 7 | 4 | Won | W | 0 | 3 | 5 |
| 7 | 2 | 0 | Drew | D | 2 | 4 | 8 |
| 6 | 3 | 0 | Lost | L | 2 | 5 | 11 |
| 36 | 20 | 10 | Scored | S | 3 | 15 | 28 |
| 26 | 12 | 2 | Conceded | C | 7 | 18 | 42 |
| 83% | 92% | 100% | Over 0.5 | O 0.5 | 100% | 100% | 96% |
| 71% | 75% | 75% | Over 1.5 | O 1.5 | 75% | 75% | 79% |
| 58% | 58% | 75% | Over 2.5 | O 2.5 | 50% | 58% | 62% |
| 38% | 33% | 50% | Over 3.5 | O 3.5 | 25% | 42% | 42% |
| 8% | 8% | 0% | Over 4.5 | O 4.5 | 0% | 0% | 4% |
| 42% | 50% | 50% | BTTS | BTTS | 50% | 50% | 54% |
| 42% | 33% | 50% | Clean Sheets | C S | 0% | 17% | 17% |
| 33% | 25% | 0% | Failed to Score | F T | 50% | 33% | 33% |
| 3.9 | 3.8 | 5 | Corners for (avg) | C F | 4.2 | 6.5 | 6.4 |
| 5.2 | 4.6 | 4.2 | Corners against (avg) | C A | 5.8 | 5.1 | 4.9 |
| 1.1 | 1.3 | 1.2 | Yellow cards (avg) | Y C | 1 | 1.5 | 1.5 |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Red cards | R C | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 12.5 | 13.2 | 14 | Shots (avg) | S ( | 10.2 | 14.2 | 14.2 |
| 4.5 | 4.8 | 6 | Shots on Target (avg) | S O | 3.8 | 4.3 | 4.4 |
| 34% | 34% | 42% | Goal Efficiency | G E | 20% | 29% | 27% |
| 15.5 | 14.7 | 10.8 | Shots against (avg) | S A | 21.5 | 12.8 | 11.6 |
| 4.8 | 4.1 | 3.5 | Shots on Target against (avg) | S O | 6 | 4 | 4.3 |
- Sparta Rotterdam have the fewest dropped points from leading position (5) in Eredivisie
- Vitesse haven’t played a single 0-0 game away.
| Total | Home | Away | |||||||||||||||||||
| # | Team | MP | W | D | L | F | A | MP | W | D | L | F | A | MP | W | D | L | F | A | +/- | P |
| 1 | Feyenoord | 24 | 16 | 7 | 1 | 54 | 22 | 12 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 24 | 6 | 12 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 30 | 16 | 32 | 55 |
| 2 | Ajax | 24 | 15 | 7 | 2 | 66 | 23 | 12 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 35 | 9 | 12 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 31 | 14 | 43 | 52 |
| 3 | AZ | 24 | 15 | 5 | 4 | 50 | 28 | 11 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 25 | 15 | 13 | 9 | 1 | 3 | 25 | 13 | 22 | 50 |
| 4 | PSV | 24 | 15 | 4 | 5 | 61 | 28 | 12 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 37 | 8 | 12 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 24 | 20 | 33 | 49 |
| 5 | FC Twente | 24 | 11 | 8 | 5 | 39 | 21 | 12 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 30 | 6 | 12 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 9 | 15 | 18 | 41 |
| 6 | Sparta Rotterdam | 24 | 11 | 7 | 6 | 36 | 26 | 12 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 20 | 12 | 12 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 16 | 14 | 10 | 40 |
| 7 | FC Utrecht | 24 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 39 | 37 | 12 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 26 | 26 | 2 | 37 |
| 8 | RKC Waalwijk | 24 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 39 | 37 | 12 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 26 | 16 | 12 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 13 | 21 | 2 | 32 |
| 9 | SC Heerenveen | 24 | 8 | 7 | 9 | 27 | 32 | 12 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 13 | 18 | 12 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 14 | 14 | -5 | 31 |
| 10 | NEC | 24 | 6 | 12 | 6 | 30 | 23 | 12 | 3 | 8 | 1 | 21 | 12 | 12 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 11 | 7 | 30 |
| 11 | Fortuna Sittard | 24 | 8 | 5 | 11 | 31 | 41 | 12 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 15 | 20 | 12 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 16 | 21 | -10 | 29 |
| 12 | Go Ahead Eagles | 24 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 34 | 43 | 12 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 19 | 20 | 12 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 15 | 23 | -9 | 26 |
| 13 | Vitesse | 24 | 5 | 8 | 11 | 28 | 42 | 12 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 13 | 24 | 12 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 15 | 18 | -14 | 23 |
| 14 | FC Volendam | 24 | 6 | 5 | 13 | 28 | 53 | 12 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 18 | 25 | 12 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 10 | 28 | -25 | 23 |
| 15 | Excelsior | 24 | 6 | 2 | 16 | 21 | 58 | 12 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 13 | 22 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 8 | 36 | -37 | 20 |
| 16 | FC Emmen | 24 | 3 | 9 | 12 | 21 | 43 | 12 | 2 | 8 | 2 | 13 | 15 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 8 | 28 | -22 | 18 |
| 17 | FC Groningen | 24 | 4 | 5 | 15 | 25 | 49 | 12 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 17 | 21 | 12 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 8 | 28 | -24 | 17 |
| 18 | SC Cambuur | 24 | 4 | 4 | 16 | 17 | 40 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 11 | 9 | 25 | 11 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 8 | 15 | -23 | 16 |
