Utrecht vs Heracles Almelo Prediction and Betting Tips

Utrecht will host Heracles Almelo at Stadion Galgenwaard on Sunday in the opening round of the 2025-26 Eredivisie campaign. The home side enjoyed a brilliant campaign last season as they finished fourth in the Dutch top flight with 64 points and will hope they can hit similar heights in the new season.

Their fourth-place finish last season secured them a spot in the UEFA Europa League qualifiers, which they have begun superbly. They beat Sheriff Tiraspol 7-2 on aggregate in the second round before picking up a 3-1 win away at Swiss club Servette in the first leg of the visitors' third round on Thursday.

Heracles Almelo, meanwhile, finished 14th for a second consecutive Eredivisie campaign last season, although they picked up five more points than they managed in the 2023-24 season. They have appointed former Roda JC Kerkrade head coach Bas Sibum as the new boss and will hope the Dutchman can guide them to a mid-table finish this year.

The visitors enjoyed a strong pre-season campaign, most recently beating Waalwijk 3-1, and will be looking to continue in the same vein when they return to competitive action on Sunday.

Utrecht vs Heracles Almelo Head-to-Head and Key Numbers

There have been 45 meetings between Utrecht and Heracles. The home side have won 20 of those games while the visitors have won 12 times, with their other 13 contests ending in draws.
The visitors picked up a 2-0 win when the two teams last faced off in February, ending their four-game winless streak in this fixture.
Utrecht scored 62 goals in the Eredivisie last season. Only the top three teams in the standings managed more.
Heracles conceded 63 goals in the Dutch top flight last season. Only Almere City (64) and Waalwijk (74) shipped more.

Utrecht vs Heracles Almelo Prediction

Utreg will head into their league opener on the back of a three-game winning streak. They have won four of their last five competitive games at Stadion Galgenwaard and will fancy their chances of a winning start.

Heraclieden ended the previous campaign with four defeats in their final five outings, although they did improve significantly during the off-season. They are without a win away at Utrecht since 2016 and could lose this one.

Prediction: Utrecht 3-1 Heracles Almelo

Utrecht vs Heracles Almelo Betting Tips

Tip 1 - Result: Utrecht to win

Tip 2 - Goals - Over/under 2.5 - Over 2.5 goals (Nine of the visitors' last 10 matches have produced more than 2.5 goals)

Tip 3 - Both teams to score: YES (Both sides have found the back of the net in each of the hosts' last five matches)

About the author

Jedidiah is a European and international football journalist at Sportskeeda, who has been covering match previews for more than 3 years. Currently pursuing an engineering degree from the University of Ibadan, he conducts thorough research and ensures to be up-to-date with football news across the globe to create the most accurate previews.

A Manchester United fan, Jedidiah fell in love with football and the Red Devils since their UEFA Champions League triumph over Chelsea in 2008. He is a big fan of Robert Lewandowski and his historic performances from 2020, but feels that only Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe are capable of replicating the Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo rivalry. His all-time favorite manager is Carlo Ancelotti due to the Italian's remarkable composure in difficult moments of a contest. Spain's 1-0 win over Netherlands in the final of the 2010 FIFA World Cup is etched in his memory forever.

A true student of the game, Jedidiah relishes identifying hidden gems from lower-tiered leagues such as the EFL Championship and the Eredivisie. When not creating previews, he likes playing football and reading books.

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