NEC Nijmegen host FC Groningen at Goffertstadion on October 25, 2026, in the tenth round of the Eredivisie season. The home side are 12th with 10 points and are still looking to end a six-match winless run in the league, although a midweek victory gives them a more encouraging result to build on. Groningen arrive in seventh place with 14 points from nine matches. Their recent results point to attacking strength on both sides, but neither team has consistently kept opponents out. That combination makes this Eredivisie meeting an intriguing test for two sides seeking a positive response to different challenges.

NEC Nijmegen's Recent Form and Key Stats

NEC Nijmegen have recorded two wins, four draws and three defeats in their nine Eredivisie matches, averaging 1.7 goals scored and 1.8 conceded per game. They have not won any of their last six league fixtures, a sequence that includes three successive draws: 2-2 against Fortuna Sittard and 1-1 against both Ajax and Go Ahead Eagles. Turning those draws into a win is the immediate challenge for a side whose attacking output has not always been matched by defensive consistency.

There was a change of result on October 22, when NEC won 4-2 against Dinamo Zagreb. Across their last five matches, they have one victory and four draws, with averages of 1.8 goals scored and 1.4 conceded. That unbeaten five-game run offers encouragement, even if the league winless streak remains. Earlier 5-0 and 3-0 defeats to Juventus and SC Cambuur respectively also illustrate why defensive reliability remains a concern.

NEC's home scoring record is particularly relevant to this match preview. They have found the net in each of their last 20 home matches, including their last 15 at home in the Eredivisie. Yet they have also conceded in each of their last 12 home games and in their last 14 league matches overall. Both teams have scored in NEC's last 12 home matches and in 14 of their last 15 Eredivisie home fixtures. Those figures describe a side capable of contributing to the scoreline without regularly shutting out its opponents.

FC Groningen's Recent Form and Key Stats

FC Groningen have taken four wins, two draws and three defeats from their first nine league games. Their Eredivisie averages stand at 2.4 goals scored and 2.1 conceded per match. They have two wins, two draws and one defeat across their last five matches, scoring an average of 2.6 goals while allowing 1.8. Those numbers underline both their ability to create goals and the opportunities they have given opponents.

Groningen's latest result was a 5-2 defeat to Ajax on October 18, a setback after wins over Excelsior and PEC Zwolle. The 5-1 victory against Excelsior and 3-0 success against PEC Zwolle showed what Groningen can produce going forward; conceding five against Ajax exposed the other side of their recent form. The trip to Nijmegen gives the visitors a chance to recover from that defeat while testing an NEC defence that has regularly conceded.

Goals have been a persistent feature of Groningen's away fixtures. Their last 20 away matches have each contained more than 1.5 total goals, as have their last 19 Eredivisie away games. At least one second-half goal has been scored in each of those 20 away matches. These are totals for the matches, rather than goals scored by Groningen alone, but they reinforce the picture of away games in which the scoreline has seldom stayed quiet.

NEC Nijmegen vs FC Groningen Match Analysis

The clearest question is whether either side can limit the chances suggested by their recent records. NEC have scored in 27 of their last 28 Eredivisie games, while conceding in each of their last 14 in the competition. Groningen bring the stronger league scoring average, but their own goals-against average leaves room for the hosts to make an impact. NEC's home sequence of matches in which both teams scored is especially significant alongside Groningen's recent attacking returns.

There is also a broader goals pattern: NEC's last 28 Eredivisie matches have all featured over 1.5 total goals, as have Groningen's last 14 league fixtures. Their most recent head-to-head ended 2-1 on May 10, 2026, while NEC's five-match head-to-head record against Groningen stands at three wins and two defeats. Previous meetings provide context, but the stronger guide to this contest is the combination of current scoring and conceding trends. NEC will want their midweek win to lead to a league victory; Groningen will want their attack to answer the Ajax defeat. Both have shown enough in front of goal to make opportunities at either end a central theme of this fixture.

NEC Nijmegen vs FC Groningen prediction from BetMines: Both Teams To Score (Yes) with 61% probability.