Excelsior secured a comfortable 4-0 win against Cambuur in the opening round of the Eredivisie regular season on Thursday evening. The result leaves the visitors lying fourth in the table with ten points, while the hosts remain rooted to the bottom with a solitary point from five games. The scoreline reflected a one-sided encounter from start to finish.
Cambuur failed to conjure much of an attack, registering just two shots on target compared to Excelsior's nine. The hosts managed 47 per cent possession but their passes into the final third yielded little, while their expected goals figure of 0.72 told the story of a team that struggled to create meaningful opportunities. They also failed to land a single successful cross from eleven attempts.
Excelsior, meanwhile, dominated the statistical picture with 53 per cent possession and 1.76 expected assists. Their nine shots on target at fifty per cent accuracy demonstrated clinical efficiency, and they created seven big chances against their opponents' two. The away side also won more aerial duels and completed 353 passes compared to Cambuur's 317.
The defeat extends Cambuur's miserable run, following results that include losses to Roda, Volos NFC, and Bologna since the summer. They had beaten Excelsior 3-2 in their previous meeting on 4 July, but this time they never got going. The visitors, by contrast, have won three of five and are building momentum ahead of the season proper.
The result leaves Cambuur five points adrift of safety at this early stage, while Excelsior sit four points clear of the drop zone. Both sides have played the same number of matches, but the gap in confidence and form is already stark. Excelsior now look like genuine contenders, while Cambuur have work to do before the next round.