Excelsior - RKC Waalwijk predictions and free betting tips [16/03/2024]

The team Excelsior is ranked near the bottom three, exhibiting a terrible losing streak. The team from South Holland is set to play against Waalwijk, a team that has clinched the same number of points. The only difference falls in goal difference, where Venlo trails by just one goal to draw level with Excelsior's goals scored and conceded.

Excelsior

"Excelsior's" head coach needs to shake up the team, orchestrate some changes to generate better results. Dijkhuizen is aware of his footballers' shortcomings and understands the necessity for restructuring, albeit not radical, but potent.

To lose to AZ Alkmaar (0:4) in their away game is less of a disaster than conceding five goals against "Fortuna", a team not considered very formidable. However, the scoreline (2:5) reveals that Marinus Dijkhuizen and his team are in a period of decline, although initially, "Excelsior" was just below mid-table and far from the bottom three.

Team changes are likely essential to rejuvenate the squad, as they do have injured players. For example, Irish player Troy Parrott missed the game with "AZ" due to injury. It remains unclear his status for the match against Waalwijk. Kouhaib Driouech is dealing with an injury. His recovery timeline is ambiguous, and Kik Pierie has missed three games because of a knee problem. Also, Reduan El Yaakoubi missed the roster for the last game due to a muscle injury. On a brighter note, Derensili Sanches Fernandes, who often graces the bench, was in the starting lineup against “AZ”. There are trials from the Excelsior coach to see if he can play on the right flank in the main lineup.

If even a game against Waalwijk  fails to yield results for the team from South Holland, Marinus Dijkhuizen's dismissal might well be justifiable. There have been numerous failures, and "Excelsior" does not intend to fall back into the Dutch first division, where they would likely struggle with an insufficient budget.

Waalwijk

Hank Fraizer's team surrenders points too often when they exhibit the capability to clinch them. Waalwijk lacks concentration and a solid defense, resulting in minimal losses – needless ties, wasted games. The provincial team doesn’t lack organisation, but their results are disappointing, except for Waalwijk's competitors. The North Brabant collective seized their 6th Eredivisie victory of the season in their previous round. They defeated Vitesse (3:1) at home, an equally matched game. Thanks to the successful implementation, "VVV-Venlo" came out victorious while the Vitesse defense looked feeble as they let their opponents launch bold attacks frequently.

Waalwijk roster already has some stand-out leaders. Micky van de Ven has had exceptional times when he delivered in 4-5 consecutive matches, followed by a scoring drought. But this player found his touch again in the last match. Yasin Ukili is an attacking midfielder who doesn't always bear fruit but performs exceptionally when asked to act closer to the forward line. And finally, David Min occasionally comes up good but he can’t be referred to as an excellent forward.

Waalwijk stands a fair chance to outperform "Excelsior", but everything boils down to Hank Fraizer's attackers' potency and whether their defense can withstand the pressure and prevent frequent flukes, just like it happened in the three games before the victory over "Vitesse".

Head-to-Head

In the first leg, Waalwijk typically failed the game when they had an opportunity to succeed, but Excelsior managed a comeback from a 0:2 scoreline.

Match predictions: Excelsior - Waalwijk

Given the circumstances, both teams need a win, but a loss is unacceptable. Therefore, a draw might seem counterproductive but it provides the most suitable result for this matchup.