Both PSV and NAC Breda will use Saturday's fixture at Philips Stadion to advance their goals in this year's Eredivisie league season.
The home side wants to lengthen their lead in the points table while the away side enters this weekend searching for additional ground to secure European competition participation.
PSV earned their comfortable lead position in the standings but failed to safeguard it by putting together a steady domestic performance during and after the holidays.
The 3-1 setback suffered at the MAC³PARK Stadion to PEC Zwolle during Saturday's game brought Peter Bosz's team seven points across their five previous matches yet Ajax earned double this total during their run of perfection.
PSV maintains a tiny one-point advantage over the bracket leaders in the Eredivisie but continues to face a research of consecutive league titles first seen since 2016 because only 15 league games remain.
De Rood-witten defeated Red Star Belgrade 3-2 in Champions League play after their league loss to stay alive in the competition's knockout stages.
Before facing Liverpool in their last Champions League group encounter the hosts look towards this weekend's Breda match where their opponents bring a nine-game losing sequence including an 0-3 loss from the latest rematch.
Breda secured one of their most notable Eredivisie wins of the season after a 2-1 victory against Twente in their Sunday Rat Verlegh Stadion matchup.
Parel van het Zuiden is now tied with eighth-place Fortuna Sittard for the final Conference League playoff position, even if their three-point victory last time out was not enough to push them back into the European spots.
Due to their inexperience at this level, many had predicted that Breda would be involved in a relegation struggle, but they have mainly exceeded expectations this season and need a promotion playoff to ensure their return to the top division.
The visitors on Saturday, however, still need to improve on both sides of the field as they have allowed the joint-most goals (32) and scored the fewest goals (23), of any top-half team, thus far.
Tiago Gouveia (shoulder) and Renato Sanches (thigh) will be out for Benfica until mid-February and mid-March, respectively.
With four goals in his last two games, Pavlidis is in excellent form and is anticipated to start at the top of the lineup on Saturday.
Manuel Jorge Silva moved from Vitoria de Guimaraes in the middle of the week, but the midfielder may be too young for this game.
The hosts are without Andrian Kraev and Gaizka Larrazabal, who are both suspended for accruing too many yellow cards.
Cassiano, the leading scorer for Casa Pia with five league goals, is now without a goal in four games in the top division and will be keen to break that streak this weekend.
Despite their recent success, Dundee has struggled against Celtic, taking just one point out of the last 36 available in their last 12 league matches. Despite this, they will be confident.
Arne Engels may be doubtful after leaving Celtic with a suspected injury in their most recent game, and James Forrest (foot) is expected to miss this game owing to an injury that will keep him out until February.
Rodgers might choose to start with a mostly unchanged squad for this game after they defeated Young Boys in their last game in a spectacular and commanding manner.
