**NEC's been the draw kings of Eredivisie so far, and Fortuna's got momentum** — this is a classic clash of form vs. fixture difficulty. 🎯

NEC haven't won in five (three draws, two losses), including stalemates with Ajax and Go Ahead Eagles, so they're grinding without a breakthrough. Fortuna, meanwhile, are buzzing with three wins in five and just took down Genk away. This is exactly the kind of test that separates pretenders from contenders.

Key storylines:

- **NEC's attacking depth** — with Linssen and Thomas spearheading a 3-4-2-1, they need early pressure to avoid another frustrating stalemate at home
- **Fortuna's away pedigree** — Sittard's two road wins (Genk, Willem II) show they travel well; they'll target the spaces in Nijmegen's back three
- **Set-piece battles** — NEC have injury issues at the back (Nuytinck out); Fortuna will fancy their chances on dead balls

Expected lineups:

- **NEC Nijmegen**: Crettaz, Fonville, Storm, Brás, Tadić, Geiger, Lebreton, Nejašmić, Thomas, Linssen, Chery
- **Fortuna Sittard**: Branderhorst, de Groot, Hübner, Guth, Pinto, Ihattaren, Brittijn, Michut, Peterson, Zeefuik, Romeny

Prediction:

**1-1 draw** leans slightly toward a stalemate — NEC's home record and Fortuna's defensive solidity make a 50-50 coin flip.