VVV-Venlo travel to face FC Twente at the Grolsch Veste Stadium on Sunday, hoping to make it four consecutive league games without a defeat.

On the other hand, Twente are looking to avoid going three league games without a victory for the first time this season.

Match preview

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Twente threw away a two-goal lead in last Sunday's trip to Groningen, which finished 2-2 at the Hitachi Capital Mobility Stadium.

Ron Jans's men were in control at half time, seemingly on their way to victory, before their hosts put up a remarkable second-half display which earned them a point.

The Tukkers missed the chance to go above Groningen in the Eredivisie table, but there is little time to dwell on that as they prepare for the visit of VVV.

Twente will be looking to complete a league double over Venlo, having beaten them 2-1 last December.

Saturday's visitors have pulled six points away from relegation danger in recent weeks, after picking up seven points from the last nine on offer.

Relinquishing a lead in the 89th minute as they did last Sunday against Heerenveen would have been a huge disappointment, but Hans De Koning's men bounced back to book a place in the last eight of the KNVB-Beker four days later by defeating Go Ahead Eagles.

Moving ahead, Venlose Trots will need to rectify their defensive malaise, which has seen them concede the joint-most goals in the Eredivisie this season.

They are still the only team in the league yet to keep a clean sheet, and something needs to change if they are to avoid getting sucked into another relegation scramble.

FC Twente Eredivisie form: LWLWLD

VVV-Venlo Eredivisie form: LLLWWD
VVV-Venlo form (all competitions): LLWWDW

Team News

Twente have been badly hit with injuries over the course of the last week as three players who started in the loss to Ajax last Thursday are now unavailable.

Vaclav Cerny played only eight minutes of the game, before he was substituted due to what has now been confirmed as a season-ending knee injury.

Tyronne Ebuehi and Jayden Oosterwolde were also forced off in the subsequent game at Groningen with ankle and hamstring injuries respectively, which will keep them out of action for about a month.

Evert Linthorst is VVV's only absentee for the game, as he picked up a knock in his side's KNVB-Beker triumph in midweek.

FC Twente possible starting lineup:
Drommel; Dumic, Pierie, Pleguezuelo, Smal; Zerrouki, Roemeratoe, Ilic; Menig, Danilo, Van Leeuwen

VVV-Venlo possible starting lineup:
Kirschbaum; Guwara, Da Graca, Gelmi, Dekker; Machach, Janssen, Post; John, Giakoumakis, Roemer

We say: FC Twente 2-0 VVV-Venlo

VVV have been all over the place defensively this season, and that has cost them games more often than not. They have tightened up to some extent in recent weeks, but we can still see them letting in enough goals to lose this one.

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