NEC Nijmegen and Omonia face off at Goffertstadion in Thursday's Europa League matchday-four action, with the Dutch side looking to leapfrog the 11th-placed visitors.

Dick Schreuder's men have struggled domestically amid their European commitments, but they enter this week's fixture buoyed by a 4-2 win over Dinamo Zagreb on matchday three and aim to secure consecutive continental victories at the expense of the Cypriot champions.

Match preview

All things considered, NEC's campaign has been hugely disappointing so far, given that Schreuder's team finished third in the Eredivisie last season.

That placed the Nijmegen outfit on the brink of a Champions League debut, and although defeat to Bodo/Glimt denied them a place in Europe's premier club competition, Europa League football was no less than they deserved.

However, Europe's second-tier club competition has brought mixed results for the Eredivisie outfit: they have lost one, drawn one and won one, with the 4-2 comeback victory over Dinamo last time out providing timely encouragement.

That success in Zagreb marked NEC's first victory in any competition since late August's 3-1 win at PEC Zwolle, highlighting their broader struggles both domestically and on the continent.

Schreuder's men sit 13th in the Dutch top flight, two points clear of the relegation playoff spot, and 20th in the 36-team Europa League standings, although maximum points on Thursday could propel them up the table.

As such, it will be fascinating to see how their Cypriot opponents approach matchday four against a side that typically play all-or-nothing football.

Henning Berg's side enter the fixture having ended a three-match winless run that included consecutive defeats to Benfica in Europe and AEK Larnaca, the latter in their penultimate October fixture.

Indeed, it was no surprise that the Queen's first victory in four coincided with their first clean sheet since mid-October's 3-0 success over Celje, which had marked the Shamrock's fourth shutout in five matches across all competitions.

That sequence was followed by eight goals conceded across three matches, giving NEC reason to believe that their Cypriot opponents can be exploited in certain game situations.

Nonetheless, Omonia travel to Nijmegen aware of their promising European position as the league phase reaches its halfway point; another victory could lift the 11th-placed Shamrock into the coveted top eight, with the three sides occupying sixth to eighth all just one point above Berg's troops.

NEC Europa League form:

NEC form (all competitions):

Omonia Europa League form:

Omonia form (all competitions):

Team News

Dusan Tadic is NEC's most notable absentee due to a calf injury, having not played since mid-October, while Philippe Sandler, Bram Nuytinck, Emre Mor and Dennis Geiger are also sidelined.

Tjaronn Chery has been the Nijmegen club's standout performer in Europe, scoring three of their five goals to share the lead in the competition's scoring charts with six other players.

Unlike the Dutch outfit, Omonia have shared the goals around, with Jaden Montnor, Senou Coulibaly, Jure Balkovec, Muamer Tankovic and Andronikos Kakoullis all finding the net for the Shamrock.

While the visitors have a relatively healthy squad, Berg must manage without Loic Nego (muscle) and Carel Eiting (knee).

NEC possible starting lineup:

Crettaz; Schuurs, Kaplan, Fonville; Kers, Nejasmic, Monteiro, Bischoff; Chery, Lebreton; Linssen

Omonia possible starting lineup:

Fabiano; Duverne, Coulibaly, Satka, Balkovec; Costa Ewandro, Andreou, Maric, Montnor; Kakoullis, Tanase

We say: NEC 1-1 Omonia

One encouraging European performance cannot disguise NEC's broader struggles, particularly with several experienced players unavailable and their domestic results continuing to disappoint.

Omonia's return to winning ways with a clean sheet should restore confidence, although Chery's influence may ensure that the Dutch side earn a share of the spoils.

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