There is little to choose between the teams ahead of what is set to be a closely-contested affair, and while we expect goals at both ends, we are backing a share of the spoils with honours split evenly at the end of the 90 minutes.
Read more.
Data Analysis
Our analysis of all available data, including recent performances and player stats up until an hour before kickoff, suggested the most likely outcome of this match was a NEC win with a probability of 46.38%. A win for Sparta Rotterdam had a probability of 27.65% and a draw had a probability of 26%.
The most likely scoreline for a NEC win was 1-0 with a probability of 11.4%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 2-1 (9.15%) and 2-0 (8.45%). The likeliest Sparta Rotterdam win was 0-1 (8.33%), while for a drawn scoreline it was 1-1 (12.34%). The actual scoreline of 0-0 was predicted with a 7.7% likelihood. Our team at Sports Mole correctly predicted a draw in this match.
