Eredivisie 2024/25 Preview: Groningen | OneFootball

The joint-fourth highest scoring team in the division, Groningen dramatically stormed to promotion through finishing second in the Eerste Divisie in 2023-24 in last-gasp fashion. They aptly shared the attacking pressure and let their youth flourish in a sole season back down in the second-tier. 2022-23’s Eredivisie struggles are regarded as the northern team’s worst season ever, as they only won four of 34 matches. Finishing rock bottom, they suffered their third ever relegation from the top flight. In stark contrast, 23-24’s campaign was something of a redemption story.

22-year-old striker Romano Postema was in mercurial form, coming fourth in the league’s Golden Boot race with 18 goals. However, it wasn’t just him doing all the work for the men in green. Johan Hove, also 22, registered five goals and six assists, while three players under-20 in Thom van Bergen, Luciano Valente, and Jorg Schreuders made key impacts too. Van Bergen scored nine and grabbed six assists, while fellow 19-year-old Valente notched seven in both departments. 18-year-old Schreuders scored five and assisted three – capping a dynamic young core that could either star in the top-tier, do well from the fringes, or benefit from potential loan moves.

Last season’s position: 2nd (Eerste Divisie)

Transfers In: Thijs Oosting (Willem II), Brynjolfur Andersen Willumsson (Kristiansund), Etienne Vaessen (RKC Waalwijk), Finn Stam (AZ Alkmaar)

Transfers Out: Isak Dybvik Maatta (Bodo/Glimt), Daniel Beukers (FC Volendam), Kristian Stromland Lien (Kristiansund, Loan), Nick Bakker (Released)

Overview: Dick Lukkien arrived in the managerial position knowing his role exactly and that was to win promotion back to the Eredivisie. Of course, he did that at the first time of asking as a talented Groningen side raced to second place.

In this transfer window of transition, Lukkien and his staff have let several players leave. Perhaps seen as excess, or merely of Eerste Divisie quality, it’s clear Groningen’s aspirations remain fixed on confirming their top-tier status by this season’s end. If we were to continue drawing parallels to that dreadful 2022-23 term, the main issues were, of course, a lack of wins and a scarily poor defence that shipped 75 league goals. Their goal difference was an abysmal -44 that year.

However, now back in the top-flight, Groningen look a sharper unit. Granted, a league below where quality is different, the ‘Trots van het Noorden’ (Pride of the North)still tightened up at the back, conceding a league best of just 30 goals in 38 games. Defensive solidity only looks to improve from the current standings too, as AZ Alkmaar centre-back prospect Finn Stam (no relation of Jaap) has arrived on loan.

Furthermore, the free signing of Etienne Vaessen from RKC Waalwijk is a smart bit of business. Vaessen is a goalkeeper who knows what it’s like to be at the wrong end of the table, as Waalwijk finished just outside the relegation play-off zone. However, he is also one that knows how to perform for a team under the cosh. Last season, as his side ended their campaign in 15th, he kept five clean sheets, made 125 saves, and totted up a fine save percentage of 74% for all shots that landed on target at his goal.

Further up the other end, another eye-catching move presents itself with Thijs Oosting arriving from last season’s promotion rivals (and eventual champions) Willem II. Signing in a transfer worth €1m, 24-year-old Oosting was a key component as the Tilburg team triumphed, scoring 12 and assisting five in 32 starts. On the other end of the price scale, the €75,000 spent on 23-year-old Icelandic forward Brynjolfur Andersen Willumsson could be another clever spend, adding a blossoming senior international from Kristiansund in Norway to an ever-developing forward line. In the last two Eliteserien seasons, Willumsson scored a combined eight goals in 28 games.

GBeNeFN | Max Bradfield