Preview: PEC Zwolle - Fortuna Sittard
After two home games in a row in the Eredivisie, the bus has been dusted off again for next weekend. This sets course for Zwolle, where PEC is the opponent in the twelfth round.
The basics
PEC Zwolle - Fortuna Sittard will be played on Saturday, November 9, at 6:45 PM, in the MAC³PARK Stadium in Zwolle. The match is led by Edwin van de Graaf, Stan Teuben takes place behind the VAR. The match can be seen on ESPN3. Fortuna is supported in Zwolle by more than 300 away supporters. Not in the stadium? Once again you can visit the live blog to stay informed of the latest developments, or tune in to the radio report from media partner L1.
PEC Zwolle this season
PEC Zwolle managed to maintain itself relatively easily as a PhD candidate last season. The second season towards the return to the highest level is still more difficult. The Zwolle team finds itself in sixteenth place after eleven games. At the end of the day, this place means play-offs for promotion/relegation. The team of head coach Johnny Jansen will therefore want to do everything they can to get away from there as quickly as possible.
The Overijssel club started the season poorly; the first three games were lost. FC Utrecht, Feyenoord and NEC Nijmegen proved to be too strong. Later in the season they also lost to AZ, NAC Breda and PSV. To date, PEC Zwolle has recorded two wins and three draws. Both victories were achieved at home, against direct competitors Heracles Almelo and Almere City.
The last match was a charged one for the home team. PEC Zwolle played the IJselderby against fellow countrymen Go Ahead Eagles. They surprisingly took a 0-2 lead, but had to watch in the second half as their rival leveled out again.
The squad
In the run-up to the new Eredivisie season, PEC Zwolle was very active on the transfer market. No fewer than eleven players signed a contract in the capital of Overijssel. For the enthusiast, there were few unknown names, because most of the signings already have the necessary experience with Dutch football. Sherel Floranus (Almere City), Jamiro Monteiro (Gaziantep), Thierry Lutonda (RKC Waalwijk) and Dylan Vente (Hibernian), for example. There was also an old acquaintance among them; Thomas Buitink was taken over from Vitesse.
This was offset by the departure of a number of strong holders. Bram van Polen, club icon, ended his career. Tolis Velios, Thomas Lam and Sam Kersten left Zwolle on a free transfer, Lennart Thy opted for an adventure in Singapore. Younes Namli also walked out for free, but ultimately chose to rejoin the Zwolle employer.
Eye-catcher
Another asset is currently excelling in the Zwolle defense: Simon Graves Jensen. The Dane is rented from the Italian Palermo this season. Since his arrival - after five rounds - Jensen has proven to be a stable factor in Jansen's team, scoring well in every match despite the varying results. The strongman had to miss the last two Eredivisie matches due to injuries, but hopes to be back against Fortuna.
The last meeting
The last meeting was decided in Zwols favor. Head coach Danny Buijs had to make do without his regular wingers that day and was therefore able to start puzzling. An offensively powerless Fortuna, which still hit the post via Kaj Sierhuis, conceded a goal in both half: 2-0.
Previous encounters
The balance is in favor of the home team. PEC Zwolle kept the points at home for no fewer than 19 of the 31 matches. Six times the match ended in a draw and six times the points went to the people of Sittard. Two of those victories came quite recently. The 2020/2021 and 2021/2022 seasons won 0-2 and 0-1 respectively. Both times this happened in an empty stadium due to the corona measures.