NEC Nijmegen moved up the Eredivisie table with a 3-1 victory away at PEC Zwolle on Saturday evening. The result lifted them to seventh place on six points from three matches, while Zwolle dropped to fourteenth after four games and just three points.
And here's the thing about the opening exchanges — two penalties in as many minutes for the visitors. T. Chery opened the scoring in the fifth minute and doubled the lead twenty-three minutes in. Zwolle finally got back into the game before half-time when K. Kostons converted a spot-kick on 45+1 minutes, but by then the damage was done.
There was frustration for the hosts at the other end too. S. Floranus had a goal disallowed for offside on 38 minutes, and Kostons saw another effort cancelled by VAR on 58 minutes. He also missed a penalty himself on 72 — crucial periods where momentum could have shifted.
NEC steadied the ship and took the lead they needed on 83 minutes through P. Schuurs. The visitors had been unlucky in their previous two matches against Bodø/Glimt, losing 0-3 and 1-3, so this away win felt like a proper response. They had camped in the final third more often, with 48 attacks to Zwolle's 36.
The statistics tell a familiar story — both sides registered 1.98 expected goals, but execution separated them. Zwolle dominated possession at 52 per cent and had five shots off target, yet only two found the frame. NEC were sharper, hitting four of their six shots on target with a 50 per cent accuracy rate.
Substitutions came thick and fast after the break, with seven changes between 46 and 86 minutes. Yellow cards for A. Kabar, D. Tadic, T. Storm and O. Aertssen showed the edge in proceedings. The result means NEC have won two of three, while Zwolle are already three defeats deep in their opening campaign.