Excelsior took all three points at Willem II Stadium on Saturday evening, ending the visit with a comfortable 3-0 win in the fifth round of the Eredivisie. The visitors had been the clear favourites coming into this fixture, and they made no mistake when it mattered. And here's the thing — matches like this are rarely about ninety minutes of dominance; they're about moments.
David Garden opened the scoring in the eighth minute, catching the home side off guard with a sharp finish. Rick Meissen doubled the advantage before the break, slotting home in the 34th minute. Irakli Yegoian put the result beyond doubt with a third goal in the 85th minute. Willem II had 11 shots inside the penalty area and still failed to find the net, while Excelsior converted with clinical precision.
Our prediction of an away victory came through with confidence. We had given Excelsior an 84 per cent chance of winning, and to be fair, the result told us nothing we didn't expect. Willem II sit 17th with just one point from four games — three defeats and a draw — while Excelsior have climbed to fourth with nine points from three wins and a loss.
The numbers tell a story Willem II will not want to dwell on. They held 59 per cent possession and completed 421 passes, but their shots accuracy sat at just 13 per cent with only two shots on target. Excelsior managed 41 per cent possession with a shot accuracy of 46 per cent and six shots on target. Expected goals reflected the reality: 0.86 for the hosts against 1.6 for the visitors.
Willem II made changes in the second half, bringing on Ágúst Orri Thorsteinsson and Eric da Silva Moreira, but the game had already slipped away. Excelsior turned to their kids as well, with Aymen Sliti and Mats Lemmens seeing time on the pitch. The result means Excelsior stay in touch with the top end of the table, while Willem II's campaign continues to look increasingly difficult.
