The second half of the Europa League group stage begins with an away trip to modest Deventer. There, the German and Dutch cup winners will face each other.
With Go Ahead Eagles Deventer, VfB meet a Dutch side for the second time in a row. But unlike Feyenoord Rotterdam—whom Stuttgart beat 2–0 at home in the Neckarstadion—Deventer are a small club that has only recently re-established itself in the top-tier Eredivisie. While Rotterdam is one of the largest cities in the Netherlands, Deventer, with just under 100,000 inhabitants, is only about one sixth its size. This is also reflected in the stadium. The “Adelaarshorst” looks more like a ground from the first round of the German cup than a typical stadium used in international competitions. With its 10,000 seats, it is the smallest stadium in this season’s Europa League. For comparison: fourth-division side Stuttgarter Kickers have room for roughly 11,000 spectators in their venerable Waldau stadium. Still, one should not make the mistake of underestimating Go Ahead Eagles. Otherwise, we could face the same fate as Panathinaikos or even title favourites Aston Villa. Both sides lost 2–1 to “The Pride of the IJssel, Kowet,” even though Deventer were 0–1 behind in both games.
Nevertheless, VfB should feel optimistic. The team finally looks stable and well-rehearsed again—thanks in part to a revitalised Deniz Undav, who cannot replace Demirović one-to-one but still knows how to use his body well. A win would be very important, as a defeat could see the team drop below the play-off line, which — due to the advanced stage of the competition — could seriously jeopardise qualification. In my opinion, that would indeed be disappointing. And yes, I know: “Don’t forget where we came from, yada yada yada…” Still, with the quality in the squad, VfB really should be among the top 24 (or at least ahead of PAOK and Panathinaikos, but that’s another topic).
I had actually planned to highlight the good
Squad Situation
here. But that was before the Zagadou news. Of course, we have decent depth at centre-back. Still, I think Zagadou’s experience and composure could have made a difference here, and I feel terribly sorry for the guy that he’ll be out for a few weeks again. We’ll also be without Tomás. Fortunately, it’s nothing long-term for him, and he will probably rejoin the team in Hamburg.
Possible lineup
I would normally have expected Zagadou instead of Jeltsch or Chabot. In attack, I see Bouanani as the replacement for Tomás, though I wouldn’t be surprised if Chris Führich starts instead. I doubt Hoeneß will rotate just because of the difference in quality. After all, the position in the table means the pressure is on.
Statistics
Although both teams are neighbours in the table and only one goal separates us, the difference in footballing quality is enormous. VfB are (once again) underperforming and, according to Opta, are among the top five Europa League teams, while Deventer have had a bit of luck and are actually among the three weakest sides. The data analytics platform forecasts VfB to finish in 9th place—just narrowly missing direct qualification.
Conclusion
VfB go into the match as overwhelming favourites, and this time we are not facing an experienced European competitor but a newcomer—one who must not be underestimated, however. I predict a narrow but deserved win.
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