ALMERE CITY VS SITTARD PREVIEW & PREDICTION
Fortuna is back with the championship and has a favorable program. One of the most difficult matches that the Sittardeners still finish is the meeting in Almere.
Almere City:
Almere was the first half of the season to be found in the subtop, but participation in the playoffs is now on the loose. The team of coach Jack de Gier has been hanging together like loose sand during the last few weeks and keeps sinking further and further away in the ranking. Only one of the last nine encounters was won, an equal played and no less than seven lost.
After 31 rounds, we find the Flevolanders in twelfth place with forty points. FC Oss, the number eleven and in the current ranking the last play-off participant, has as many points as Almere but a better goal difference. So it has to be won again to secure the playoffs.
Last Sunday, De Gier’s team once again failed to take three points. In the home game against FC Emmen, Almere even took a 2-0 lead through hits by Silvester van de Water and Arsenio Valpoort, but this turned out not to be enough for the win. A goal by Mario Bilate and Damien Mirani’s own goal scored the away team.
However, it was announced this week that Robert Maaskant is the new technical director of Almere City. The former coach had initially said goodbye to the football world, but now comes back to that.
Fortuna Sittard:
Fortuna experienced a dip in the results at the end of January and the beginning of February, and internal struggles eventually resulted in the successful Sunday Oliseh training course being rolled out. The backlog of leaders NEC and Jong Ajax grew steadily and the title seemed out of sight for the Limburgers for a long time.
However, the interim coach duo Claudio Braga and Kevin Hofland have the team again excellent on the ride. Fortuna has been unbeaten for seven games in a row and won four of her last five games. Because competitors NEC and Jong Ajax continue to spill points, Fortuna is back in the championship. Meanwhile, the Limburgers have 59 points from 31 games, only two less than both front runners.
Anyone looking at the remaining program can not but conclude that of the three title candidates, Fortuna has the most favorable program. Young Ajax and NEC still play against each other and both meet several other teams from the left-hand row. The most difficult matches for Fortuna are the home game against Jong PSV and the away match against Almere, which will be played tomorrow.
Fortuna has again access to Almere internationals Perr Schuurs, Lazar Kojic and André Vidigal, who had interland commitments last week. Djibril Dianessy is also back from a suspension.
PREDICTION: Over 2.5 goals @ 1.43
