Newly-promoted PEC Zwolle host Sparta Rotterdam on the opening weekend of the Eredivisie season this Saturday.
Zwolle bounced back to the top flight at the first time of asking last season, while Sparta enjoyed an excellent campaign fighting for the European places.
Match preview
After 10 years in the Eredivisie, Zwolle went down with a whimper in 2022 but have shown great character to come back up in style.
The notoriously goal-laden Eerste Divisie lived up to its name again though, as Zwolle lost the title on goal difference to Heracles Almelo despite scoring 99 goals in 38 games.
Even a 13-0 demolition of Den Bosch in March was not enough to overturn the goal difference in their favour, as both sides finished on 85 points.
Zwolle will enjoy a kinder start on paper than most other sides in the division though, as Feyenoord are the only top three side they will face until mid-November.
An array of new players arriving at the club this summer has meant a big number of friendlies too, in order to help integrate them into the side.
However, Zwolle failed to win any of their final four, but they have given minutes to many of the 11 new faces through the door at the club.
In Sparta's fourth-straight season in the Eredivisie, they produced their best showing yet last season.
Maurice Steijn did a fantastic job in leading them to a sixth-placed finish, not too far behind heavyweights Ajax and AZ Alkmaar.
That placement earned them a spot in the Eredivisie's Europa Conference League playoffs, and a semi-final tie with Utrecht, who they beat on penalties.
However, they would eventually succumb to Twente, who narrowly beat them 2-1 on aggregate in the final.
Despite falling just short, there was still a lot to be positive about, scoring 60 goals and recording a better defensive record than both Ajax and PSV Eindhoven.
If they can start the new season in similar fashion to how they finished the previous regular campaign, then Steijn's men will be on the right track, after thrashing Cambuur and Groningen by a combined score of 9-1.
Pre-season has gone well, with five wins and three clean sheets from six friendlies, beating four fellow Dutch sides and Zulte-Waregem of Belgium.
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Team News
In what has been a mixed summer for Zwolle, retaining last season's 26-goal man Lennart Thy has been a huge positive.
Thy is experienced at this level having featured for upcoming opponents Sparta between 2020 and 2022.
However, the club have lost two very promising youngsters in Thomas van den Belt to Feyenoord after recording 24 goals and assists last season, and Younes Taha to Twente.
Kenneth Vermeer is back in Dutch football though, after three years in MLS, and he should challenge Jasper Schendelaar for the number one spot.
Lennart Czyborra is also back in the Eredivisie after frustrating spells at Genoa and Arminia Bielefeld, and should start in defence.
There have also been mass incomings at Sparta, with 10 new players at the club, but holding onto goalkeeper Nick Olij may be the best coup of the summer for them.
Japanese forward Koki Saito has also made his loan move from Lommel permanent, joining on a free after scoring seven and assisting five goals last season.
PEC Zwolle possible starting lineup:
Schendelaar; Gorlich, Czyborra, Van Hintum; Thomas, Namli, Chirino, El Azzouzi, Buurmeester; Thy, Druijf
Sparta Rotterdam possible starting lineup:
Olij; Van Mullem, Vriends, Eerdhuijzen, Meissen; Kitolano, Verschueren, Aleman; V van Crooij, Lauritsen, Saito
We say: PEC Zwolle 1-2 Sparta Rotterdam
On their return to the top flight, Zwolle have a difficult challenge ahead of them against a Sparta side who over-performed last season.
Sparta have retained much of that side, while Zwolle have lost some key players, so the visitors will be slight favourites.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
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