De Treffer opened their Tweede Divisie campaign with a comfortable 5:1 victory over GVVV Fenandaal on Saturday. The hosts controlled proceedings from the first whistle, scoring twice before half-time and never looking threatened. GVVV, who had won their pre-season friendlies against lower opposition, found themselves unable to cope with the pace of Dutch football.
J. Hekkert broke the deadlock in the 30th minute, finishing a well-worked move. S. van Bakel doubled the lead just before the break, and the pattern continued after the restart. T. Waterink made it three in the 61st minute, and van Bakel added a second of his own in the 78th minute. Things came to a head when T. Dilrosun scored in the 85th minute, and GVVV snatched a consolation at the death in the 90th minute.
K. Hillen picked up the first yellow card of the match in the 59th minute, and R. Ippel followed suit eight minutes later. There were several changes around the hour mark, with both managers looking to adjust their approaches. De Treffer brought on A. van Soest and W. den Dekker, while GVVV introduced B. Brussaard for T. Waterink.
The statistics tell a straightforward story. Both teams held 50% possession, but De Treffer registered 17 shots on target compared to GVVV's seven. The hosts also dominated in attacks with 82 to 68, and their 10 shots on target versus 3 off target shows they created far better chances. GVVV won 19 free kicks to seven, suggesting they spent more time defending.
De Treffer sit third in the table with eight points from four games, having kept three clean sheets on the spin. GVVV occupy 17th place with zero points from four defeats. The result ends a run of pre-season friendlies for both sides, but the gap in quality is already visible in the standings.