Highlighted: Time to get up for Vitesse?
Vitesse has ten more rounds to secure their spot. Saturday evening features another crucial match for the Arnhem-based team in their fight to avoid relegation. Edward Sturing's men will face off against RKC Waalwijk. Where the Arnhem team seemed dead and buried, there now appears to be a cautious light on the horizon for Vitesse.
Progress at Vitesse
his hope is partly due to a new momentum at Vitesse, and the fact that the team is increasingly successful in finding the goal. Vitesse scored six goals in the last four Eredivisie matches, only one less than in the thirteen league games before that combined. It didn't yield points in each of these matches, but it should give the people of Arnhem some encouragement.
Vitesse players celebrate victory over N.E.C. (01-10-2023)
The driving force behind Vitesse's attack
One of the new players making an impression at Vitesse is the Algerian Anis Hadj Moussa. Since the beginning of February, no player has made as many dribbles in the Eredivisie as him (35), and only five players were involved in more goal attempts during that period than the Patro Eisden loanee, who was involved in 23 shots, took 15 shots himself, and created 8 opportunities.
Eredivisie since the beginning of February.
| Player | Shots on goal | Opportunities created |
|---|---|---|
|
Luuk de Jong |
22 |
14 |
|
Hirving Lozano |
18 |
15 |
|
Osame Sahraoui |
18 |
8 |
|
Tjaronn Chery |
16 |
10 |
|
Pelle van Amersfoort |
20 |
5 |
|
Anis Hadj Moussa |
15 |
8 |
|
Kaj Sierhuis |
15 |
8 |
Vitesse and RKC's shared battle
Despite the new attacking impulses, Vitesse has only scored nineteen goals this league season. Along with opponent RKC Waalwijk (20 goals), they are the lowest-scoring team in the Eredivisie this season. The Arnhem team had a 6.6 percent success rate from shots, and RKC had 7.1 percent, the lowest shot conversion rates in the league.
Eredivisie 2023/24
| Team | Goals | Shot conversion. |
|---|---|---|
|
Heracles Almelo |
31 |
11,6% |
|
Excelsior |
38 |
14,7% |
|
RKC Waalwijk |
20 |
7,1% |
|
Vitesse |
19 |
6,6% |
|
FC Volendam |
25 |
10,9% |
Repeat for RKC or breakthrough for Vitesse?
RKC Waalwijk won the away game against Vitesse this season (0-2) and can win both Eredivisie matches against Vitesse for the second time in one season, for the first time after the 1991/92 season. Vitesse aims to win consecutive away games within a single Eredivisie season for the first time since May 2022 (then also two in a row).
Follow the relegation battle live on Saturday at 21:00 on ESPN!
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