Preview: PEC Zwolle vs Ajax – prediction, team news, lineups

PEC Zwolle will host Ajax on the Mac3Park Stadion on Sunday for his or her matchday 25 Eredivisie encounter.

The hosts enter the fixture on the again of a 3-match winless run as they appear to drag additional away from the relegation battle, whereas the Sons of God have fallen out of the title race however stay centered on securing third place and a spot within the UEFA Champions League qualification rounds as their main goal for the season.

Match preview

PEC Zwolle rescued a degree final weekend with a 79th-minute equaliser towards FC Utrecht to proceed their push away from the relegation zone.

That precious away draw got here after a 4-2 defeat to SC Heerenveen every week earlier, a outcome by which Henry van der Vegt’s facet conceded a minimum of two objectives for the third time in 4 matches.

The Blauwvingers have struggled for consistency, recording two wins, three defeats and one draw of their final six outings, and so they stay and not using a victory of their most up-to-date matches.

However, PEC have scored a minimum of as soon as in every of their final eight league video games and have loved relative success at house, profitable six of their 11 fixtures, drawing one and dropping 4, whereas scoring 15 objectives and conceding 15.

Against Ajax, PEC have suffered 41 defeats in 55 earlier conferences, alongside seven wins and 7 attracts, and they’re at the moment on a 20-match winless run on this fixture, with three attracts throughout that stretch relationship again to October 2014.

© Imago / DeFodi Images

Ajax missed the possibility to climb to 3rd within the Eredivisie after being held to a 1-1 draw by direct rivals NEC Nijmegen, with Mika Godts opening the scoring earlier than Darko Nejasmic netted an equaliser to make sure the factors have been shared.

The outcome noticed Ajax lose additional floor within the race for the highest positions, leaving second place successfully out of attain and growing the stress to safe European qualification.

The fixture additionally marked the debut of goalkeeper Maarten Paes, who began rather than the injured Vitezslav Jaros, now dominated out for the season with a critical knee harm, and his show drew blended reactions as Ajax struggled to manage proceedings after taking the lead.

De Godenzonen sit fourth within the 2025-26 standings with 43 factors from 24 matches, stage with NEC however trailing on objective distinction, preserving the competition for European spots finely poised.

Fred Grim‘s facet latest kind has been blended however encouraging, with a 4-1 win over Fortuna Sittard ending a run of successive attracts towards AZ Alkmaar and Excelsior, whereas they’ve now scored in 15 consecutive league matches since October 2025.

PEC Zwolle Eredivisie kind:

PEC Zwolle kind (all competitions):

Ajax Eredivisie kind:

Ajax kind (all competitions):

Team News

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PEC stay with out Jamiro Monteiro, Damian van der Haar, Samir Lagsir and Jasper Schendelaar attributable to harm issues.

Van der Vegt may also be unable to name upon Poland worldwide Jan Faberski following his stoppage-time dismissal towards Utrecht final weekend.

Ajax goalkeeper Jaros will miss the journey to Zwolle after being dominated out for the rest of the season with a critical knee harm, that means Paes is ready to proceed between the posts.

Former Arsenal defender Oleksandr Zinchenko has additionally been dominated out for the remainder of the marketing campaign after sustaining a critical harm on his first house look for Ajax, whereas Steven Berghuis stays sidelined.

Davy Klaassen, who was absent from the squad towards NEC attributable to a health subject, has returned to full coaching and is again in rivalry for choice.

Youri Regeer was substituted within the 77th minute with a suspected harm on Saturday whereas striker Kasper Dolberg additionally suffered the identical destiny and was changed by Wout Weghorst.

PEC Zwolle potential beginning lineup:

De Graaff; Gooijer, MacNulty, Jensen, Floranus; Buurmeester, Oosting, Fichtinger; Shoretire, Namli; Kostons

Ajax potential beginning lineup:

Paes; Rosa, Sutalo, Baas, Wijndal; Gloukh, Fitz-Jim, Steur; Bounida, Godts, Weghorst

We say: PEC Zwolle 1-2 Ajax

PEC usually are not imminently in peril of dropping into the relegation zone, however with 10 matches left earlier than the tip of the season, issues may flip ugly in the event that they preserve dropping factors.

While mathematically, Ajax are out of the title race, a win towards PEC on Sunday will preserve the stress on third-positioned NEC Nijmegen and we again Grim’s team to choose all three factors.

For information evaluation of the more than likely outcomes, scorelines and extra for this match please click here.