SC Heerenveen still has a lot at stake in the remaining four rounds of the season following their recent victory against Heracles Almelo, under the guidance of departing head coach Kees van Wonderen. Prior to the 31st round, Heerenveen was trailing Sparta Rotterdam by four points. On the last matchday, Heerenveen will face Sparta Rotterdam, their direct competitor for the ninth place. It is crucial for Heerenveen to stay within reach of Rotterdam for as long as possible and hope for a misstep by their rivals.
In the previous five games, Heerenveen dropped a total of 11 points before their triumph over Heracles. Even a slight shift in the final rankings can have a significant impact on the distribution of TV funds from the Eredivisie, which is set to increase substantially after 2025.
PSV Eindhoven’s Challenges and Regrets
On the other hand, opponent PSV Eindhoven is currently preoccupied with matters beyond the rankings. The loss of Sergiño Dest, who suffered a serious knee injury, has dampened the festive spirit for the upcoming weeks. The question now is not whether PSV will become champions, but when. The gap between PSV and their only competitor, defending champion Feyenoord, was nine points. There is a possibility that PSV could even secure the championship this weekend.
Following the match between PSV and Heerenveen, Feyenoord will face Go Ahead Eagles in Deventer. If Feyenoord achieves a worse result than PSV, the latter will officially become interim champions. In the event of both teams winning, drawing, or losing, Feyenoord would need to make up a goal difference of 24 in the last three rounds, while PSV would also have to lose all three matches. This scenario seems highly unlikely.
Key Players to Watch
One player to keep an eye on is Heerenveen striker Ché Nunnely, who scored the opening goal against Heracles and doubled his goal tally. Another player of interest is PSV midfielder Joey Veerman, who provided his 12th assist of the season against Vitesse. Veerman will be facing his former club this week, adding an intriguing element to the match.
Hot Stat: Heerenveen has recorded the highest percentage of home games in the Eredivisie season with over 2.5 total goals, reaching an impressive 80%.