Nec Nijmegen vs Omonia Nicosia Match Preview

Nec Nijmegen 4

Omonia Nicosia 3

Nec Nijmegen

• Dick Schreuder’s squad for the upcoming match will be missing Dušan Tadić, Philippe Sandler, Bram Nuytinck and Emre Mor, all of whom are injured. Despite their loss to Heerenveen over the weekend, NEC have no new injury worries. However, the prolonged unavailability of several key players restricts their choices as they seek to turn around their unpredictable league and European campaigns.
• Gonzalo Crettaz is likely to line up in front of a back three that includes Perr Schuurs, Ahmetcan Kaplan and Tobias Storm. At home, NEC have found it challenging to keep clean sheets, with both sides finding the net in each of their last 13 matches at the Goffertstadion. The team’s recent struggles have also involved a lack of early dominance, with seven first-half goals conceded and just one scored in their last six games.
• Kevin Kers and Clement Bischoff are set to play as wing-backs, with Jamiro Monteiro and Darko Nejasmic forming the central midfield duo. In Europe, NEC have shown significant attacking promise, with 18 shots on target in their first three Europa League games, a tally bettered by only five other teams. Bischoff has been in fine form recently, with two goals and one assist in his last three outings, along with two bookings. Both of his goals have put NEC ahead, including his strike against Dinamo Zagreb on matchday three.
• Tjaronn Chery and Noé Lebreton are expected to support Bryan Linssen, who scored twice in the 4-2 victory over Dinamo Zagreb. Linssen has been among NEC’s most productive attacking players in the Europa League, while Chery has scored three goals in the competition this season. The 38-year-old is approaching a notable individual milestone, with only Olivier Giroud having scored more goals in a single Europa League campaign among players aged 38 or older since 2009/10, netting four goals in 2025/26.

Omonia Nicosia

• Henning Berg's side will be without the injured Carel Eiting and Fotis Kitsos, but otherwise, they have few confirmed selection issues. Loïc Négo missed the weekend win against AEL Limassol, so his availability is unclear, but Omonia are likely to field most of the team that has taken six points from their first three Europa League games.
• Fabiano is likely to lead the line in support of Jean-Kévin Duverne, Ľubomír Šatka, Senou Coulibaly and Jure Balkovec. Omonia have shown resilience away from home, winning three of their last four competitive matches on the road, including their Europa League victory against Celje. However, their defensive record has been less impressive in recent weeks, conceding eight goals in their last six competitive fixtures, including four against Benfica on matchday three.
• Mateo Marić and Panagiotis Andreou are set to partner in central midfield, offering defensive cover and supporting the attack. Omonia have shown a knack for creating chances late in European games, with four goals scored after the 75th minute in their three Europa League fixtures, the highest combined total in the competition ahead of matchday four. Their ability to stay competitive until the final whistle could be crucial against an NEC side that has struggled to keep clean sheets at home.
• Ewandro Costa, Muamer Tanković and Jaden Montnor are expected to play behind Loïs Diony, who is set to lead the attack. Diony scored four times in Europa League qualifying, with three of those coming within the opening 30 minutes, and two were the first goals of their respective matches. Omonia have shared the attacking burden in the league phase, with five different players scoring once, including Andronikos Kakoullis against Benfica. Their ability to spread the goalscoring load could be vital as they aim to secure a historic third European victory of the campaign.