The position on the ranking of both teams is not too good and that is due to the disappointing season. However, both Telstar and Cambuur are doing fantastic in recent weeks and are trying to make a final sprint on the ranking. However, only one team can add three more points on Friday evening. Is Telstar able to extend its undefeated status to seven or do the Frisians throw a spanner in the works?
Telstar:
Telstar is in absolute blood form. Mike Snoei’s team played a mediocre season, with only seven wins in 26 rounds of the Kitchen Champion Division. We are now in round 33 and Telstar suddenly looks unbeatable in the last six games. The club from IJmuiden is clearly in a flow. First it was to be seen whether Telstar could keep this up, because with FC Dordrecht and the promises of AZ and FC Utrecht, De Witte Leeuwen did not have the most difficult program either. After a draw was also played against FC Eindhoven and won in the difficult away game against number 4 FC Den Bosch, it started to look more and more like Telstar started a final sprint.
It is striking that Telstar has started to perform better after the tactical conversion. Snoei has tried different formations this season and surprises her opponents. For a long time it played in a 5-3-2 variant, but this did not produce the desired results. Since Snoei started playing with deeper backs in a sort of 3-5-2 variant, it suddenly seems to grab points. Earlier this season, he also experimented with 4-3-3 and 3-4-3.
There was an away game on the program on Monday evening that might be even harder than the away game against FC Den Bosch. Telstar had to face Go Ahead Eagles in De Adelaarshorst. Fair is fair, Snoei’s team was not the better team and the home team had the opportunity. Nevertheless, the team from IJmuiden took the win. Telstar scored twice, but twice failed to hold onto that lead. Still it managed to decide the final score with 2-3 in the absolute final phase of the match. As a result, they have risen one place in the rankings and are now in 14th place. Overtaking NEC is the next target, which is 13th with one point difference.
Cambuur:
Cambuur is running a reasonable season. It is in a stable ninth position, but the results of the Frisians are not exactly stable. It is a season with ups and downs. The club has occupied various positions in the rankings, for example they were first in the beginning of the season, but recently the club was in a sad 15th place. The first six games of the season was Cambuur unbeaten, but then it became very changeable. This actually lasted until six rounds of play, so round 27. It seems to have taken the form of the start again and only lost once in the last six games.
Just like her upcoming opponent, Cambuur is also flexible in the formation. René Hake will have his team alternate between a 4-3-3 and 4-4-2 line-up this season. He played five times in a row with the 4-3-3 variant, but there was a switch against Young Ajax.
And with success! Cambuur humiliated Young Ajax on De Toekomst. It wrote history and recorded the biggest ever victory in club history. After 37 minutes there was already 5-0 on the scoreboard and after the break one more goal was scored. It became 6-0 and that was a justified final score. The Ajax goalkeeper had a very unfortunate match, but the victory was mainly due to the tactical choices of Hake. He put Emmanuel Mbende in the defense, which resulted in Robbert Schilder moving through the defense to midfield. An excellent move, because Cambuur was lord and master, especially in midfield. His team is full of confidence now.
PREDICTION: Both teams to score / YES @ 1.62
