NEC Nijmegen and Excelsior played out a 2:2 draw in the Eredivisie regular season at the Goffertstadion on Tuesday evening. The result ends Excelsior's run of four consecutive victories, while NEC extend their winless streak to three league matches. Both sides had chances to take all three points, but neither could capitalise when it mattered most.
Adam Tahaui opened the scoring for the hosts in the tenth minute, giving NEC an early advantage. David Garden equalised just before the break in the forty-third minute, and the visitors took a point into the interval. The first half was relatively even, with neither side able to build sustained pressure.
Excelsior took the lead through Valentin Sulzbacher in the seventy-third minute, but NEC responded immediately. Noe Lebreton found the net in the ninety-second minute to salvage a point for the visitors. And here's the thing — the late drama meant neither side could claim a full victory after what had been a competitive match.
NEC dominated possession at 69 per cent but only managed three shots on target, while Excelsior were more clinical with five on target from their limited opportunities. The visitors created five big chances compared to two for the hosts, and their expected goals figure of 1.81 exceeded their total of 1.36 for NEC. By then it was clear that Excelsior had been more dangerous in attack despite having less of the ball.
Multiple substitutions were made by both managers in an attempt to change the game. NEC brought on Dennis Geiger, Isak Hansen Aaröen, David Garden and Ágúst Orri Thorsteinsson, while Excelsior introduced Eric da Silva Moreira, Ilano Silva Timas and Gabriel·Bras. The match saw four yellow cards in total, with Jamiro Monteiro, Lennard Hartjes, Rick Meissen and Valentin Sulzbacher all cautioned.
The result leaves NEC in tenth place with six points from five games, while Excelsior remain third with twelve points. For the hosts, this draw extends a pattern of dropping points in matches they should have won. Excelsior, meanwhile, cannot afford another slip if they want to maintain their position near the top of the table.
