Volendam v Groningen: survival fight meets top-half push | OneFootball

Volendam host Groningen in the Eredivisie at Kras Stadion on Sunday, 1 March 2026, with the hosts trying to pull clear of the relegation scrap and the visitors aiming to halt a slide and push back towards the European play-off picture.

Groningen sit 9th to Volendam's 15th and won the reverse fixture 3-0 in December. The hosts, however, have been far more reliable at home than away this season.

Recent form points both ways. Volendam's last five league games read draw, loss, win, win, loss, including a 2-1 home victory over PSV and a 2-1 success at PEC Zwolle before defeat at NAC Breda. Groningen arrive on a five-match league losing run, most recently a 2-1 defeat at FC Twente after home losses to Utrecht and PSV.

Team news matters. Volendam are without Henk Veerman, Gibson Osahumen Yah, Anthony Descotte and Nordin Bukala through injury. Groningen list Mats Seuntjens, Tika de Jonge, Elvis van der Laan, Mark Hoekstra, Jismerai Dillema and Yénio Holder as injured.

The match-up could hinge on Groningen's structure against Volendam's home edge. The visitors have seven clean sheets, average 51% possession and 80.36% pass accuracy, and deliver high crossing volume with 19.71% accuracy. That may test a Volendam defence that has conceded 39 league goals and kept just one clean sheet. Brynjolfur Willumsson, on six league goals, offers Groningen a focal point, while set pieces could tilt it given the visitors have scored from them and Volendam have not.

A Volendam win would move them to 27 points and could open daylight to the relegation places. Victory for Groningen would take them to 34 points and could draw them closer to the qualification play-off spots.