Emmen – Telstar

Netherlands – Eerste divisie, day 9. Friday 06/10/23, h20:00

Emmen show to have found their way, after three wins in a row that led them to the 2nd place in the league. Further good signs, for coach Grim, come from the latest trend: in these games Emmen registered just one goal against, compared to the 11 of the previous 5. A significant improvement that goes together with the second-best attack of Eerste divisie: 15 goals scored, in the mark of the talented playmaker Ben Scholte (4) and of the winger Joey Konings (3). No surprise after all. Emmen were just relegated from Eredivisie and are among the highest-rated candidates to take back their place. The beginning of the season was slightly below expectations, an adjustment phase must have been taken into account but now it seems to be over. And Emmen will be a top-class opponent for everyone.

With a dramatic 3-2 against Jong Ajax, the first joy has finally come for Telstar. The Red-and-blue must thank the 95th minute goal from Quinten van den Heerik to celebrate a long-awaited result. The overall picture is still disappointing (19th place), but all the 4 points gained so far have arrived in the last two weeks. A sparkle that can shake the mental condition of Mike Snoei’s players: lately the coach has found a potentially functional attacking duo – Gravenberch and Eddahchouri, who both scored against Ajax – while the defense still requires some major adjustments. Telstar have always conceded at least a goal in each game of this season: to consistently level up, this negative streak must be promptly halted.

So far Emmen have sprinted on the road (11 points in 5 games), but their supporters have been waiting enough to see some dominance at home (just one win out of three). This Friday can be the day: they face a much weaker opponent, coming from an intense effort in the previous leg and with well-known tactical deficiencies. In this sense, the rapidity in transition of Konings and pals can be deadly. Especially if they found an early goal to channel the match on the right track.