Emmen and Eindhoven met in round seven of the Eerste Divisie on Friday evening, and the visitors took all three points in a 3-1 victory. The result keeps Emmen in fifth place on twelve points, while Eindhoven remain fourteenth with seven. Antonio Bazdaric struck late to make it interesting, but by then the match was already decided.
Rayan Buifrahi opened the scoring in the 39th minute, a moment that gave Eindhoven confidence. Jack Cooper Love doubled the lead shortly after the break, and Kevin van Veen added a third in the 59th minute. Joshua Mukeh was sent off in the same half, and by then Emmen were chasing the game. They did not respond well to being reduced to ten men.
Emmen controlled possession at 58 per cent and registered 162 attacks, yet created no big chances. Eindhoven managed with 42 per cent of the ball and 106 attacks, but their shot accuracy sat at 29 per cent. The hosts cleared 36 balls and made 17 tackles, while Emmen kept possession through 429 successful passes. They were running out of games to turn things around.
The red card changed the shape of the match, and Eindhoven kept their side in it through careful defending. Hugo Deenen and Luc Netten came on together in the 63rd minute, and the old head settled them down. Emmen pushed for a comeback but found themselves flat-footed against a compact block.
Bazdaric's goal in the 93rd minute meant the visitors had to stay alert until the final whistle. The result leaves Emmen two points behind the teams above them, while Eindhoven are still looking for consistency. Fourteen games remain in the regular season, and the gap between the sides is clear.
