ADO Den Haag and Fortuna Sittard met at the VertTalent Stadion for a fifth-round clash in the Eredivizi. The visitors secured a 2:3 victory on Sunday, leaving the hosts winless after five matches. It was a result that kept the visitors in the upper half while ADO remain rooted to the bottom of the table. The home side failed to capitalise on their early dominance.
Fortuna struck first through Mohammed Ihattaren in the 29th minute. Lequincio Zeefuik added a second shortly after, and the visitors led 2:0 by half-time. ADO made a double change at the break involving Daryl van Mieghem and Sekou Sylla.
The hosts finally pulled one back through Yannick Fereira Eduardo in the 59th minute, only to see Ihattaren restore the two-goal cushion three minutes later. Eduardo was substituted off shortly after his goal, replaced by Anthony Descotte. There was a surge of hope when Jesse Bal scored in the 91st minute.
Our view before the whistle was simple: Fortuna would take the points. We backed the visitors with 80 per cent confidence, and by then the pattern was clear. ADO had not won since their opening game, and their defence looked vulnerable against a side that had already beaten Groningen. To be fair, the hosts created more territory, but Fortuna took their chances.
The statistics tell a familiar story of wasted opportunity. ADO dominated possession with 58 per cent and completed 474 passes, yet they only registered three shots on target. Their expected goals figure of 0.48 reflects the lack of clear cuts.
The win moves Fortuna up to fourth place with ten points from five games. They have one defeat and one draw under their belt, showing resilience after the loss to AZ. ADO sit fifteenth with a solitary point, having drawn with Feyenoord and lost four other matches. The gap between the sides remains significant. It is a long season for the hosts.
It was not a pretty contest, but it was decisive. Fortuna showed they can grind results away from home. ADO need to find a way to turn draws into wins before the winter break.
