Willem II vs Heerenveen
Heerenveen snatch draw in late drama
Willem II's lead undone as Heerenveen fight back with two second-half goals.
Willem II looked set for a comfortable win after Uriel van Aalst's 61st-minute strike, but Heerenveen responded swiftly through J. Trenskow and O. Braude to turn the tide. D. Haen's equaliser for Willem II at 82' ensured the points were shared in a thrilling 2-2 draw. This result defied Fipster's high-confidence prediction of a 2-0 home win, proving the visitors' resilience too strong to be kept quiet.
Outcome probability
The new Eredivisie season kicks off with a fresh encounter between Willem II and Heerenveen. Both teams are eager to make a strong start, with Willem II newly promoted and looking to assert themselves, while Heerenveen aim to continue their solid performances from last season.
Key facts
- 1.Willem II are newly promoted and starting fresh in the Eredivisie.
- 2.Heerenveen finished 8th last season with 51 points from 34 games.
- 3.Heerenveen have lost J. van Overeem over the summer transfer window.
- 4.Willem II have no points yet this season, indicating a fresh start.
- 5.Heerenveen have a 1.50 points-per-game advantage over Willem II from last season's data.
- 6.The predicted halftime score is 1-0 in favour of Willem II.
- 7.The most probable fulltime scoreline is 2-0 to Willem II.
- 8.Four cards are expected in this match, suggesting a competitive game.
The context
This match marks the first competitive fixture of the 2026-27 campaign for both sides. Willem II return to the top flight after promotion, facing a Heerenveen side that finished 8th last season with 51 points. Notably, Heerenveen have parted ways with J. van Overeem over the summer, which could influence their midfield dynamics.
Player Insights
Standout players Fipster expects to impact the match — curated highlights, not full squad lists
Home — Willem II
No standout best passers flagged for Willem II
Away — Heerenveen
Analysis
Willem II are tipped to take the initiative early, with a halftime lead of 1-0 expected. Their home advantage and fresh enthusiasm from promotion could unsettle Heerenveen, who may still be adjusting to the loss of van Overeem. The predicted 2-0 fulltime scoreline suggests a controlled performance by Willem II, while the forecast of four cards indicates a competitive and physical encounter.
Prediction
The forecast is firmly in favour of a home win, with Willem II expected to secure a 2-0 victory. The first half should see them take the lead, setting the tone for the rest of the match. Heerenveen will need to be cautious and disciplined to avoid conceding further and to keep their hopes alive.
The verdict
As the season opener, this match offers Willem II a chance to announce their return with a statement win. Heerenveen will look to regroup and respond in upcoming fixtures, but for now, the spotlight is on the home side to deliver a confident and clean sheet victory.
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
Hoogma
Uriel van Aalst
Assist: Tjoe-A-On
Gürbüz
Trenskow
Assist: Vente
Meerveld
Courtens
Braude
Assist: Smans
Haen
Assist: Twigt
Tjoe-A-On
Rivera
Twigt
Boogaard
| # | Team | P | W | D | L | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  AZ Alkmaar | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | +10 | 12 |
| 9 |  Groningen | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | -1 | 6 |
| 10 |  Heerenveen | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | -1 | 5 |
| 11 |  Sparta Rotterdam | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| 14 |  PEC Zwolle | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | -4 | 3 |
| 15 |  Willem II | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | -6 | 1 |
| 16 |  ADO Den Haag | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | -7 | 1 |
Match Statistics
Willem II
4-2-3-1Starting XI
- 3F. StamD
- 4J. HoogmaD
- 5H. ter AvestD
- 6C. TwigtM
- 7J. SloryM
- 8K. BoogaardM
- 9D. HaenF
- 19Uriel van AalstM
- 24N. Tjoe-A-OnD
- 31K. de LeeuwG
- 50E. GürbüzM
Substitutes
- 2A. CiranniD
- 14Jens MathijsenD
- 15A. Et-TaïbiD
- 21W. van der SteenG
- 22Per van LoonM
- 28T. VerheydtF
- 40D. IglesiasM
- 41Tygo KotteG
- 48J. van EsdonkM
- 83M. LemmensD
Heerenveen
4-2-3-1Starting XI
- 3M. WillemsenD
- 4S. KerstenD
- 6D. ProperM
- 7M. RiveraM
- 9D. VenteF
- 10R. MeerveldM
- 19V. ZagaritisD
- 20J. TrenskowM
- 22B. KlaverboerG
- 36N. CourtensM
- 45O. BraudeD
Substitutes
- 8L. BrouwersM
- 11L. OyenF
- 14L. SmansM
- 17N. HoplandD
- 23D. BladiD
- 28H. PetrovD
- 29L. MachineF
- 30T. SchreuderG
- 41J. ScholtenD
- 44A. NoppertG
- 47Kirayno SchakenF
Willem II
| Player | Pos | Min | Rating | G | A | Shots | SoT | Key Passes | Dribbles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Devin Haen | F | 93 | 8.0 | 1 | — | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1/1 |
| Calvin Twigt | M | 85 | 7.5 | — | 1 | — | — | 5 | — |
| Uriel van Aalst | M | 93 | 7.3 | 1 | — | 2 | 1 | — | 1/2 |
| Nathan Tjoe-A-On | D | 85 | 7.3 | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | 0/2 |
| Jaden Slory | M | 93 | 6.7 | — | — | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1/3 |
| Kasper Boogaard | M | 87 | 6.6 | — | — | 1 | — | — | 0/1 |
| Hidde ter Avest | D | 93 | 6.6 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — |
| Eser Gürbüz | M | 62 | 6.3 | — | — | 1 | — | — | 1/2 |
| Justin Hoogma(C) | D | 45 | 6.3 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Karst de Leeuw | G | 93 | 6.3 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Finn Stam | D | 93 | 6.3 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Substitutes | |||||||||
| Tygo Kotte | G | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Divano Fernandez Iglesias | M | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Wouter Van der Steen | G | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Thomas Verheydt | F | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Jens Mathijsen | D | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Julian van Esdonk | M | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Mats Lemmens | D | 48 | 6.7 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Per van Loon | M | 31 | 6.5 | — | — | — | — | — | 1/1 |
| Amine Et-Taibi | D | 8 | 6.5 | — | — | — | — | — | 0/1 |
| Alessandro Ciranni | D | 8 | 6.5 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Heerenveen
| Player | Pos | Min | Rating | G | A | Shots | SoT | Key Passes | Dribbles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jacob Trenskow | M | 93 | 8.3 | 1 | — | 2 | 2 | 4 | 1/3 |
| Bernt Klaverboer | G | 93 | 7.7 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Oliver Braude | D | 93 | 7.6 | 1 | — | 3 | 2 | — | — |
| Maas Willemsen(C) | D | 93 | 6.9 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0/1 |
| Dirk Wanner Proper | M | 93 | 6.6 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1/1 |
| Ringo Meerveld | F | 69 | 6.6 | — | — | — | — | — | 0/1 |
| Sam Kersten | D | 93 | 6.5 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Dylan Vente | F | 93 | 6.3 | — | 1 | — | — | 3 | 0/1 |
| Nolhan Courtens | M | 69 | 6.3 | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | 1/2 |
| Vasilios Zagaritis | D | 93 | 6.2 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Maxence Rivera | M | 85 | 5.9 | — | — | 2 | 1 | — | 2/4 |
| Substitutes | |||||||||
| Kirayno Schaken | F | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Jimte Scholten | D | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Timo Schreuder | G | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Darling Bladi | D | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Hristiyan Petrov | D | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Andries Noppert | G | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Lanroy Machine | F | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Nikolai Soyset Hopland | D | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Levi Smans | M | 24 | 6.9 | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | — |
| Luca Oyen | F | 8 | 6.7 | — | — | — | — | — | 1/1 |
| Luuk Brouwers | M | 24 | 6.3 | — | — | 1 | — | — | 1/1 |