Heerenveen vs PEC Zwolle
PEC Zwolle secures solid away win
A brace from Viergever and Kostons seals a 2-0 victory at Heerenveen.
PEC Zwolle claimed a confident 2-0 win on the road against Heerenveen, with N. Viergever opening the scoring shortly after the break and K. Kostons doubling the lead before the hour mark. The visitors controlled the match after taking the lead, leaving Heerenveen unable to respond. Fipster's prediction of an away win was on the money, though the exact scoreline differed.
Outcome probability
The new Eredivisie season kicks off with Heerenveen facing PEC Zwolle in what promises to be an intriguing encounter. Both teams have been busy in the transfer market, shaping their squads for the challenges ahead. Heerenveen, having parted ways with J. van Overeem, will look to start strongly, while PEC Zwolle have bolstered their ranks with the arrival of N. Viergever.
Key facts
- 1.Heerenveen finished 8th last season with 51 points.
- 2.PEC Zwolle ended 15th with 37 points last season.
- 3.Heerenveen had a goal difference of +4 compared to PEC Zwolle's -27.
- 4.Heerenveen have lost J. van Overeem to transfer.
- 5.PEC Zwolle have signed N. Viergever as a free agent.
- 6.PEC Zwolle released K. de Rooij, A. MacNulty, and Jamiro Monteiro.
- 7.The predicted halftime score is 1-0 in favour of Heerenveen.
- 8.The final predicted score is a 2-1 win for PEC Zwolle.
The context
Last season's performances set the stage for this opener, with Heerenveen finishing comfortably higher in the league standings and sporting a notably better goal difference. PEC Zwolle, meanwhile, have had to rebuild after releasing several players, including K. de Rooij, A. MacNulty, and Jamiro Monteiro. This match offers a chance for Zwolle to make a statement early on.
Player Insights
Standout players Fipster expects to impact the match — curated highlights, not full squad lists
Home — Heerenveen
Away — PEC Zwolle
Analysis
Despite Heerenveen's superior league position and goal difference from last season, the prediction leans towards an away win. The data suggests Heerenveen may take an early lead, reflected in the halftime score prediction of 1-0. However, PEC Zwolle are expected to mount a comeback in the second half, ultimately winning 2-1. This turnaround highlights Zwolle's potential to defy expectations and adapt tactically as the game progresses.
Prediction
The forecast sees Heerenveen opening the scoring before PEC Zwolle respond with two goals to clinch the victory. The match is also expected to feature three cards, indicating a competitive and possibly tense affair. Fans should anticipate a spirited contest with momentum swings and tactical adjustments influencing the final outcome.
The verdict
As the season gets underway, this fixture encapsulates the unpredictability and excitement of Eredivisie football. PEC Zwolle's predicted comeback victory sets a tone of resilience and ambition, while Heerenveen will be keen to avoid an opening-day setback. Either way, supporters can look forward to a lively contest.
Form as the teams went into this match — excludes this result and anything since.
Team Comparison
Season shape — attack, defence, form, clean sheets & win rate
Home vs Away comparison
Goal difference in each of the last few fixtures — above the line is a net win, below is a net loss
Season comparison
Goals scored & conceded, goal difference and clean sheets across the season
Halftime Performance
What each side does once the whistle goes for half time
Streaks
Recent-form runs — each side’s most-recent game meets in the middle
Head to Head
Thomas
Yellow Card
Viergever
Assist: Mbayo
Kostons
Yellow Card
Kostons
Assist: Mbayo
Braude
Proper
Rivera
Sørensen
Mbayo
Linday
Yellow Card
Meerveld
Goal Disallowed - offside
Oosting
Kostons
| # | Team | P | W | D | L | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  AZ Alkmaar | 7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | +12 | 19 |
| 9 |  GO Ahead Eagles | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | +2 | 9 |
| 10 |  Heerenveen | 7 | 2 | 3 | 2 | +2 | 9 |
| 11 |  NEC Nijmegen | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | -1 | 7 |
| 15 |  Utrecht | 7 | 1 | 2 | 4 | -13 | 5 |
| 16 |  PEC Zwolle | 7 | 1 | 1 | 5 | -14 | 4 |
| 17 |  ADO Den Haag | 7 | 0 | 2 | 5 | -10 | 2 |
Match Statistics
Heerenveen
4-2-3-1Starting XI
- 3M. WillemsenD
- 4S. KerstenD
- 6D. ProperM
- 7M. RiveraM
- 9D. VenteF
- 10R. MeerveldM
- 16M. LindayM
- 19V. ZagaritisD
- 20J. TrenskowM
- 22B. KlaverboerG
- 45O. BraudeD
Substitutes
- 8L. BrouwersM
- 11L. OyenF
- 14L. SmansM
- 17N. HoplandD
- 23D. BladiD
- 28H. PetrovD
- 29L. MachineF
- 30T. SchreuderG
- 36N. CourtensM
- 41J. ScholtenD
- 44A. NoppertG
PEC Zwolle
4-2-3-1Starting XI
- 1J. SchendelaarG
- 3O. AertssenD
- 8T. SommerM
- 9E. SørensenM
- 10K. KostonsF
- 11D. MbayoM
- 24N. ViergeverD
- 25T. OostingM
- 28S. GravesD
- 30R. ThomasM
- 33D. van der HaarD
Substitutes
- 4T. VelthuisD
- 16T. de GraaffG
- 18O. VelanasM
- 20G. ReizigerM
- 22I. CissokoF
- 26Jadiel Pereira da GamaM
- 34N. FichtingerM
- 37Gilles van der WalM
- 38G. RahajaänM
- 41D. VerduinG
- 42Dylan RuwardD
Heerenveen
| Player | Pos | Min | Rating | G | A | Shots | SoT | Key Passes | Dribbles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ringo Meerveld | M | 53 | 7.2 | — | — | 1 | — | 3 | 1/1 |
| Maas Willemsen(C) | D | 53 | 7.0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Marcus Linday | M | 53 | 6.9 | — | — | — | — | 1 | — |
| Maxence Rivera | M | 53 | 6.9 | — | — | 4 | 2 | — | 0/1 |
| Dylan Vente | F | 53 | 6.7 | — | — | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0/2 |
| Bernt Klaverboer | G | 53 | 6.7 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Oliver Braude | D | 53 | 6.7 | — | — | — | — | 4 | — |
| Dirk Wanner Proper | M | 53 | 6.7 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Jacob Trenskow | M | 53 | 6.6 | — | — | 1 | — | 2 | — |
| Vasilios Zagaritis | D | 53 | 6.5 | — | — | — | — | 1 | — |
| Sam Kersten | D | 53 | 6.3 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — |
| Substitutes | |||||||||
| Darling Bladi | D | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Andries Noppert | G | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Luuk Brouwers | M | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Luca Oyen | F | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Hristiyan Petrov | D | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Nikolai Soyset Hopland | D | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Levi Smans | M | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Nolhan Courtens | M | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Lanroy Machine | F | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Timo Schreuder | G | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Jimte Scholten | D | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
PEC Zwolle
| Player | Pos | Min | Rating | G | A | Shots | SoT | Key Passes | Dribbles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jasper Schendelaar | G | 53 | 8.3 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Nick Viergever | D | 53 | 8.0 | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | — | — |
| Simon Graves | D | 53 | 7.2 | — | — | — | — | 1 | — |
| Dylan Mbayo | M | 53 | 7.0 | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | 2/2 |
| Ryan Thomas(C) | M | 53 | 7.0 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — |
| Damian van der Haar | D | 53 | 7.0 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1/1 |
| Thijs Oosting | M | 53 | 6.7 | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | — |
| Tobias Sommer | M | 53 | 6.6 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Elias Sørensen | M | 53 | 6.5 | — | — | 1 | — | — | 0/1 |
| Olivier Aertssen | D | 53 | 6.3 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Koen Kostons | F | 53 | 6.2 | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — |
| Substitutes | |||||||||
| Odysseus Velanas | M | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Tijs Velthuis | D | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Duke Verduin | G | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Ibrahim Cissoko | F | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Tom de Graaff | G | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Nick Fichtinger | M | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Dylan Ruward | D | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Gabriel Reiziger | M | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Givaro Rahajaän | M | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Jadiel Pereira da Gama | M | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Gilles van der Wal | M | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Prediction Q&A
- Who did Fipster predict to win Heerenveen vs PEC Zwolle?
- Fipster's AI model predicted PEC Zwolle to win against Heerenveen.
- What score did Fipster predict for Heerenveen vs PEC Zwolle?
- Fipster predicted a final score of Heerenveen 1–2 PEC Zwolle.
- What were the win probabilities for Heerenveen vs PEC Zwolle?
- Fipster's model gave Heerenveen a 23% chance of winning, PEC Zwolle a 53% chance, and a 24% chance of a draw.
- How confident was Fipster in this prediction?
- Fipster's model assigned this prediction 53% confidence — a medium-confidence call.