NEC Nijmegen and Omonia Nicosia return to action in the UEFA Europa League when they square off at Stadion de Goffert in matchday four on Thursday. Both sides secured contrasting results last time out in matchday three, with the visitors suffering their first defeat of the league phase at the hands of Portuguese giants Benfica.
Three games into the 2026-27 Europa League term, NEC Nijmegen have enjoyed a decent start to the campaign, picking up four points from the first nine available.
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Having managed just one point from their opening two matches — losing 5-0 against Juventus in September’s opening game and playing out a 1-1 stalemate with Levski Sofia on October 15 — Dick Schreuder’s men put on a show on October 22, when they picked up a 4-2 victory over Dinamo Zagreb in Croatia.
Back home, NEC Nijmegen failed to stop the rot in the Eredivisie last weekend, when they fell to a 1-0 defeat against Heerenveen, a result which extended their winless run in the league to eight matches (5D 3L).
Having edged out Lincoln Red Imps and Sint-Truiden in the qualifiers, Omonia Nicosia kicked off their Europa League journey with promise, claiming consecutive victories over Celta Vigo and Celje in their opening two matches.
However, momentum suffered a dip in matchday three on October 22, when Henning Berg’s men suffered a 4-1 hammering at the hands of Benfica courtesy of an own goal from Loic Nego and second-half strikes from Vangelis Pavlidis, Fredrik Aursnes, and Gianluca Prestianni.
Ahead of their return to Europe, Omonia Nicosia secured a morale-boosting result back home last Sunday, claiming a 2-0 victory over AEL Limassol in the Cyprus 1st Division, to rise into third place in the league table, level on 15 points with Aris Limassol and AEL.
NEC Nijmegen vs Omonia Nicosia Head-To-Head and Key Numbers
- This will be the first-ever meeting between NEC Nijmegen and Omonia Nicosia, and both sides will look to begin their rivalry on a positive note.
- NEC Nijmegen are without a win in their last seven home games across all competitions, losing twice and claiming five draws since a 2-1 extra-time victory over Olympiacos on August 11.
- Omonia Nicosia have lost just two of their last seven Europa League games (including qualifying matches) this season, while picking up four wins and one draw so far.
- NEC Nijmegen are without a clean sheet in 17 consecutive matches, with the Dutch outfit conceding the opening goal in five of their most recent six matches.
NEC Nijmegen vs Omonia Nicosia Prediction
Buoyed by their victory over AEL, Omonia Nicosia will return to action on the continental scene with confidence as they look to bounce back from their defeat against Benfica.
However, NEC Nijmegen boast superior quality across the pitch, and we predict they will make the most of their home advantage to secure a narrow victory.
Prediction: NEC Nijmegen 2-1 Omonia Nicosia
NEC Nijmegen vs Omonia Nicosia Betting Tips
Tip 1: Result – NEC Nijmegen to win
Tip 2: Both sides to score – Yes (Both sides have scored in six of NEC’s last seven games)
Tip 3: Over 4.5 cards – No (There have also been fewer than five bookings in seven of the hosts’ last eight outings)
Edited by Peter Pedroncelli
