Waalwijik vs Feyenoord

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Matchday 11 of the 2023-24 Eredivisie season will feature an encounter between RKC Waalwijk and Feyenoord at the Mandemakers Stadion on Saturday evening.

Both teams are coming into this match following losses in their recent games and are eager to return to the path of victory.

Feyenoord experienced their first league defeat of the season when they narrowly lost 2-1 to FC Twente in their last match at De Grolsch Veste. Goals from Manfred Ugalde and Ricky van Wolfswinkel in each half put Arne Slot's team at a disadvantage, with Lutsharel Geertruida managing to pull one back. As a result, Feyenoord has slipped to fourth place in the Eredivisie standings, now trailing division leaders PSV Eindhoven by seven points.

Their next challenge is RKC Waalwijk, a team they have had the upper hand over in their recent encounters, winning seven of the last nine meetings since 2014. This game serves as an opportunity for Feyenoord to regain confidence before their crucial Champions League clash against Lazio just three days later.

RKC Waalwijk suffered a 3-2 defeat to Utrecht in the KNVB Beker, with Oscar Fraulo, Mike van der Hoorn, and Isac Lidberg scoring for the opposition, and Chris Lokesa netting twice for RKC. Prior to that, RKC faced a loss against Sparta Rotterdam, causing them to drop to the 13th spot in the league standings.

However, RKC has shown promise with back-to-back home wins leading up to this match. They will be optimistic about their chances of securing a positive result this weekend as they look to turn things around in front of their home supporters.

The hosts are entering the match after a 3-2 loss to Utrecht in the initial round of the KNVB Beker last Tuesday. Oscar Fraulo, Mike van der Hoorn, and Isac Lindberg all found the net in the first half to help Domstedelingen advance to the next round.

On the other hand, Feyenoord recently suffered a 2-1 defeat away to Twente. Manfred Ugalde and Ricky van Wolfswinkel scored in both halves for the hosts, while Lutsharel Geertruida managed a late consolation goal for the visitors.

This loss caused the Rotterdam team to slide down to fourth place in the standings, amassing 23 points from 10 matches. In contrast, Waalwijk currently occupies the 13th position with nine points earned from the same number of games.

Feyenoord has won 32 of their last 57 encounters with Waalwijk, while Waalwijk has secured victory 10 times, with 15 matches ending in a draw. Their most recent meeting took place in April 2023, resulting in a 5-1 home victory for Feyenoord. In six out of their last seven competitive games, Feyenoord has seen three or more goals scored.

In the case of Waalwijk, seven out of their last eight league games have witnessed more goals scored in the second half compared to the first. Feyenoord has managed to score at least two goals in seven of their last eight head-to-head matches. Additionally, six of Waalwijk's last seven league games have seen one team failing to find the back of the net. In the past four head-to-head games, there were at least 11 corner kicks.

Feyenoord's defense of their title took a hit last weekend as their loss to Twente left them trailing league leaders PSV by seven points. Arne Slot's team is eager to rebound with a victory in this upcoming match, where they are considered the favorites.

Waalwijk may be considered underdogs on paper, but they can draw motivation from their earlier season victory over Twente.