The disappointment of dropping points in the Breda Yellow stadium still lingered as Utrecht prepared to face FC Groningen at the Galgenwaard. The home crowd would be expecting a response after such a disappointment, and Coach Wouters had made it clear that anything less than three points would be unacceptable.
"Groningen is a good team," he told the players during the pre-match briefing. "They're well-organized, they have quality in attack, and they won't make it easy for us. But we're at home, we have the support of our fans, and we need to show that we've learned from last week's mistakes."
The atmosphere in the dressing room was focused and determined. The players knew that consistency was the key to achieving their goals for the season, and dropping points at home would send the wrong message to both supporters and rivals.
