VVV Venlo claimed a narrow 2:1 victory over De Graafschap on Sunday afternoon in the third round of the Eerste Divisie. The result keeps the hosts in fourth place while extending De Graafschap's winless start to the campaign.
Julian Kania gave the visitors an early lead after ten minutes, a moment that seemed to settle him in front of goal. Venlo responded through Nassim Ait Mouhou before the break, though Raf Vullers' equaliser in stoppage time proved decisive. The academy graduate marked his first start with a goal, and by then the momentum had clearly shifted.
Yellow cards came for Nart Ahmeti, Luis Görlich and Kaya Symons as the match grew increasingly physical. Venlo made five changes across the second half, while De Graafschap brought on four substitutes. The visitors played the second half a man down after Ahmeti's booking, but could not find an answer.
Both sides registered similar numbers across the board. Venlo held 51 per cent possession with 92 attacks against 93 for the visitors. Shots on target were minimal — two for Venlo, three for De Graafschap — suggesting chances went begging at both ends. The statistics reflect a match decided by moments rather than sustained pressure.
VVV Venlo now sit on nine points from four games, three wins and a defeat. De Graafschap remain rooted to 19th place with just one point from their opening four fixtures. The gap between them is already substantial, and for the visitors the road ahead looks steep.
