Willem II vs Excelsior
Excelsior cruise to a commanding win
A clinical display sees Excelsior dismantle Willem II with a 3-0 victory.
Excelsior stamped their authority early with D. Garden opening the scoring in the 8th minute, followed by R. Meissen doubling the lead before the break. I. Yegoian sealed the deal with a late goal at 85 minutes, completing a comprehensive 3-0 away win. Fipster's prediction of an away victory was spot on, though the exact scoreline was a bit off.
Outcome probability
The new season kicks off with an intriguing clash as Willem II, fresh from promotion, face Excelsior. Both sides are eager to set the tone for their campaigns, with Excelsior looking to assert their experience against the newcomers.
Key facts
- 1.Excelsior finished 13th last season with 38 points from 34 games.
- 2.Willem II are newly promoted and start with zero points this season.
- 3.Willem II had a better goal difference last season compared to Excelsior.
- 4.Excelsior lost three players over the summer: D. Sanches Fernandes, A. Zagré, and I. Bronkhorst.
- 5.The predicted halftime score is 0-2 in favour of Excelsior.
- 6.The match is expected to feature around four yellow cards.
- 7.Excelsior have a notable points-per-game advantage over Willem II last season.
The context
This fixture marks the first competitive meeting of the season for both teams. Willem II step up after promotion, while Excelsior return to action aiming to build on their previous campaign's efforts. Excelsior have seen some departures over the summer, including D. Sanches Fernandes, A. Zagré, and I. Bronkhorst, which may influence their squad dynamics.
Player Insights
Standout players Fipster expects to impact the match — curated highlights, not full squad lists
Home — Willem II
Away — Excelsior
Analysis
The prediction strongly favours an away win for Excelsior, with a 1-3 scoreline the most probable outcome. The statistical edge lies with Excelsior, who amassed 38 points from 34 games last season, compared to Willem II's fresh start with no prior points this campaign. Despite Willem II's better goal difference last season, Excelsior's points-per-game advantage suggests they have the upper hand. The halftime scoreline of 0-2 aligns with the fulltime prediction, indicating Excelsior could establish control early on. The match is also expected to be competitive in discipline, with around four cards anticipated.
Prediction
Expect Excelsior to take the lead early and maintain their advantage, cruising to a 3-1 victory over Willem II. The newcomers may find it tough to contain Excelsior's attacking threat, especially in the first half, where a two-goal cushion is likely to be established.
The verdict
As the season opener unfolds, Excelsior look set to make a statement with a confident away win. Willem II will need to regroup quickly after this setback if they are to thrive in their new division. For now, the spotlight shines on Excelsior to deliver on their promising start.
Form as the teams went into this match — excludes this result and anything since.
Team Comparison
Season shape — attack, defence, form, clean sheets & win rate
Home vs Away comparison
Goal difference in each of the last few fixtures — above the line is a net win, below is a net loss
Season comparison
Goals scored & conceded, goal difference and clean sheets across the season
Halftime Performance
What each side does once the whistle goes for half time
Streaks
Recent-form runs — each side’s most-recent game meets in the middle
Head to Head
Garden
Assist: Yegoian
Meissen
Assist: Janssen
Lemmens
Gürbüz
Boogaard
Yellow Card
Boogaard
Sliti
Eric Emanuel da Silva Moreira
Þorsteinsson
Slory
Yellow Card
Slory
Garden
Yegoian
Assist: van Gassel
Groen
Yellow Card
| # | Team | P | W | D | L | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  AZ Alkmaar | 7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | +12 | 19 |
| 6 |  Fortuna Sittard | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | -1 | 13 |
| 7 |  Excelsior | 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 | +6 | 11 |
| 8 |  Groningen | 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 | +2 | 11 |
| 17 |  ADO Den Haag | 7 | 0 | 2 | 5 | -10 | 2 |
| 18 |  Willem II | 7 | 0 | 2 | 5 | -14 | 2 |
Match Statistics
Willem II
4-2-3-1Starting XI
- 3F. StamD
- 5H. ter AvestD
- 6C. TwigtM
- 7J. SloryM
- 8K. BoogaardM
- 9D. HaenF
- 19Uriel van AalstM
- 24N. Tjoe-A-OnD
- 50E. GürbüzM
- 83M. LemmensD
Substitutes
- 2A. CiranniD
- 14Jens MathijsenD
- 15A. Et-TaïbiD
- 17O. MartinF
- 21W. van der SteenG
- 22Per van LoonM
- 23M. DekkerD
- 28T. VerheydtF
- 31K. de LeeuwG
- 52T. VilhenaM
Excelsior
5-4-1Starting XI
- 1S. van GasselG
- 2Eric Emanuel da Silva MoreiraD
- 3R. MeissenD
- 4C. WidellD
- 7A. SlitiM
- 8I. YegoianM
- 14J. PlugD
- 15S. JanssenD
- 19D. GardenF
- 20L. HartjesM
- 30Á. ÞorsteinssonM
Substitutes
- 6D. van VianenM
- 9Mario DomínguezF
- 12K. BosF
- 18V. SulzbacherM
- 21I. Silva TimasF
- 22O. TurayD
- 23Y. FineyM
- 24Giulliano CairoM
- 28N. GroenF
- 40Tijmen HollaG
Willem II
| Player | Pos | Min | Rating | G | A | Shots | SoT | Key Passes | Dribbles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N. Tjoe-A-On | D | 90 | 7.3 | — | — | 1 | — | 3 | 2/3 |
| M. Dekker | D | 44 | 6.7 | — | — | — | — | 1 | — |
| T. Vilhena | M | 44 | 6.6 | — | — | 1 | — | 2 | — |
| J. Slory | M | 82 | 6.5 | — | — | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0/2 |
| C. Twigt | M | 90 | 6.4 | — | — | 2 | — | 1 | 2/2 |
| T. Verheydt | F | 27 | 6.4 | — | — | 2 | — | — | — |
| H. ter Avest | D | 90 | 6.3 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| F. Stam | D | 90 | 6.3 | — | — | — | — | — | 1/2 |
| D. Haen | F | 90 | 6.2 | — | — | 4 | — | — | — |
| E. Gürbüz | M | 46 | 6.1 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 2/3 |
| K. Boogaard | M | 63 | 6.0 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — |
| M. Lemmens | D | 46 | 6.0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| O. Martin | F | 8 | 6.0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Uriel van Aalst | M | 90 | 5.9 | — | — | 2 | — | — | 1/1 |
| W. van der Steen | G | 0 | 0.0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| A. Ciranni | D | 0 | 0.0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| K. de Leeuw | G | 0 | 0.0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Per van Loon | M | 0 | 0.0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Jens Mathijsen | D | 0 | 0.0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| A. Et-Taïbi | D | 0 | 0.0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Excelsior
| Player | Pos | Min | Rating | G | A | Shots | SoT | Key Passes | Dribbles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I. Yegoian | M | 90 | 9.0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0/1 |
| R. Meissen | D | 90 | 8.7 | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | — | — |
| C. Widell | D | 90 | 7.9 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| J. Plug | D | 90 | 7.8 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — |
| S. Janssen | D | 90 | 7.6 | — | 1 | — | — | 2 | 0/1 |
| D. Garden | F | 90 | 7.6 | 1 | — | 2 | 1 | — | 0/1 |
| S. van Gassel | G | 90 | 7.2 | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | — |
| L. Hartjes | M | 90 | 7.1 | — | — | 2 | 1 | — | 1/1 |
| Eric Emanuel da Silva Moreira | D | 65 | 7.0 | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | 0/4 |
| D. van Vianen | M | 25 | 7.0 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1/1 |
| A. Sliti | M | 64 | 6.7 | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | 1/4 |
| I. Silva Timas | F | 26 | 6.5 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| N. Groen | F | 19 | 6.3 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Á. Þorsteinsson | M | 71 | 6.3 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| K. Bos | F | 0 | 0.0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Y. Finey | M | 0 | 0.0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Giulliano Cairo | M | 0 | 0.0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| O. Turay | D | 0 | 0.0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Tijmen Holla | G | 0 | 0.0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| V. Sulzbacher | M | 0 | 0.0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Mario Domínguez | F | 0 | 0.0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Prediction Q&A
- Who did Fipster predict to win Willem II vs Excelsior?
- Fipster's AI model predicted Excelsior to win against Willem II.
- What score did Fipster predict for Willem II vs Excelsior?
- Fipster predicted a final score of Willem II 1–3 Excelsior.
- What were the win probabilities for Willem II vs Excelsior?
- Fipster's model gave Willem II a 2% chance of winning, Excelsior a 95% chance, and a 3% chance of a draw.
- How confident was Fipster in this prediction?
- Fipster's model assigned this prediction 95% confidence — a high-confidence call.