NEC Nijmegen take on the visitors Utrecht in the round 18 match of Dutch Eredivisie. The match will be played on Friday, January 9th at Goffertstadion (Nijmegen).
NEC are nowhere near being considered local giants. Still, there have been some relative successes in recent years, and in 2024 they even reached the domestic cup final. However, they lost that final once again, and in the Eredivisie they slipped last season from sixth place down to eighth. Even after reaching the playoffs, they were eliminated by their very first opponent, Twente, due to a decisive goal in extra time. In the new campaign, NEC have made a sharp step forward, winning almost half of their matches, with 8 victories in 17 games. They are also still alive in the cup. That said, their two most recent matches ended in entertaining draws, not only against Ajax but also earlier versus Telstar, both finishing 2–2. Even so, that was enough to celebrate Christmas and New Year in an unexpectedly high fourth place. In recent weeks, NEC have looked competitive and well-organized, regularly picking up points against both stronger and weaker opponents. Their current league position reflects solid consistency rather than short-term luck.
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Utrecht, unlike their opponent, have lost momentum. Utrecht have historically been rated higher than their current rival. Especially in recent years, and last season the club tried to challenge Feyenoord, who only pulled away in spring, already under Van Persie as head coach. Eventually, Utrecht finished fourth, which sent them into the Europa League. There they beat Sheriff, Servette, and Zrinjski in qualification, but in the main round managed only a draw against Porto, losing all other matches. Domestically, things have been relatively smooth only in the cup. In the Eredivisie, however, Ron Jans’ side have not won since early November, and their current record shows balance: 6 wins and 6 losses in 17 matches. As a result, with 23 points they are only narrowly ahead of Heerenveen and Sparta, sitting eighth in the table. Utrecht’s recent form suggests a lack of stability, especially away from home. Dropped points over several rounds have prevented them from staying closer to the European places.
Utrecht have won three of the last four head-to-head encounters, with just one defeat. That loss came in March 2025, when they were beaten 0–1 at home. At the moment, the hosts are clearly having the better season. The pick is a home win for NEC.
Prediction for the match: NEC Nijmegen to win.
