Willem II vs NEC Nijmegen
NEC Nijmegen storm past Willem II with commanding 4-1 win
Four second-half goals seal a dominant away victory for NEC Nijmegen.
NEC Nijmegen delivered a clinical performance against Willem II, scoring four goals after the break to secure a 4-1 triumph. Adam Tahaui opened the scoring in stoppage time of the first half, setting the tone for the visitors, who then saw T. Chery, B. Linssen, and K. Sierhuis add to the tally. Willem II's T. Verheydt managed a consolation goal late on, but it was too little too late. Fipster's medium-confidence prediction of an away win was spot on, though the margin of victory was more emphatic than forecast.
Outcome probability
The new Eredivisie season kicks off with an intriguing clash as Willem II face NEC Nijmegen. Both teams are eager to set the tone early, with NEC Nijmegen bringing in fresh talent to bolster their ranks.
Key facts
- 1.NEC Nijmegen finished 3rd in the Eredivisie last season with 59 points from 34 games.
- 2.Willem II are newly promoted and have yet to play a league game this season.
- 3.NEC Nijmegen have strengthened their squad with K. Sierhuis and Jamiro Monteiro on free transfers, and Danilo on loan.
- 4.B. Önal departed NEC Nijmegen during the summer transfer window.
- 5.The predicted full-time score is Willem II 1 - 2 NEC Nijmegen.
- 6.NEC Nijmegen had a +24 goal difference last season, significantly better than Willem II's.
- 7.The away win probability is highest at 33.8%, compared to home win and draw.
The context
This fixture marks the first competitive outing of the season for both sides. Willem II, newly promoted, are stepping up to face NEC Nijmegen, who finished third in the Eredivisie last term. NEC have strengthened their squad with the arrivals of K. Sierhuis and Jamiro Monteiro on free transfers, plus Danilo on loan, while parting ways with B. Önal.
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 — NEC Nijmegen
Analysis
NEC Nijmegen enter this match with a clear edge, reflected in their superior league standing last season and the quality added during the summer. Their goal difference and points per game last term were notably better than Willem II's, who are yet to prove themselves at this level. The predicted 2-1 scoreline suggests a competitive encounter, but one where NEC's experience and squad depth should prevail.
Prediction
The forecast is for NEC Nijmegen to claim a 2-1 victory. The away win holds the highest probability, with the 1-2 scoreline being the most likely full-time result. Expect NEC to leverage their summer signings and league pedigree to edge out Willem II in this season opener.
The verdict
As the season gets underway, NEC Nijmegen look set to start on a high note, while Willem II will be keen to learn quickly and adapt. This match promises a lively contest, but the visitors' quality and preparation should see them through.
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
Tjoe-A-On
Yellow Card
Tahaui
Assist: Bischoff
Chery
Linssen
Bischoff
Linssen
Nejašmić
Sierhuis
Assist: Chery
Ciranni
Tjoe-A-On
Gürbüz
Fonville
Verheydt
Assist: ter Avest
Boogaard
Tahaui
| # | Team | P | W | D | L | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  AZ Alkmaar | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | +10 | 12 |
| 6 |  Fortuna Sittard | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | +1 | 7 |
| 7 |  NEC Nijmegen | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | +4 | 6 |
| 8 |  Excelsior | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | +4 | 6 |
| 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
4-4-1-1Starting XI
- 2A. CiranniM
- 3F. StamD
- 4J. HoogmaD
- 7J. SloryM
- 8K. BoogaardM
- 9D. HaenF
- 19Uriel van AalstF
- 22Per van LoonD
- 24N. Tjoe-A-OnD
- 31K. de LeeuwG
- 50E. GürbüzM
Substitutes
- 5H. ter AvestD
- 14Jens MathijsenD
- 15A. Et-TaïbiD
- 21W. van der SteenG
- 28T. VerheydtF
- 41Tygo KotteG
- 48J. van EsdonkM
- 49I. MouhoulM
- 83M. LemmensD
NEC Nijmegen
3-4-2-1Starting XI
- 1G. CrettazG
- 2B. PereiraD
- 6D. NejašmićM
- 9T. CheryF
- 10D. TadićF
- 19Adam TahauiM
- 21T. StormD
- 24Deveron FonvilleD
- 30B. LinssenF
- 35Jamiro MonteiroM
- 99Clement BischoffM
Substitutes
- 5T. OuwejanD
- 7E. MorF
- 8I. Hansen-AarøenM
- 11W. WillumssonM
- 12N. PolsterG
- 14K. SierhuisF
- 17B. NuytinckD
- 20N. LebretonM
- 34Kevin KersF
- 36Freek EntiusG
- 66Almugera Raouf Mohammed KabarD
- 73Gabriel BrásD
Willem II
| Player | Pos | Min | Rating | G | A | Shots | SoT | Key Passes | Dribbles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jaden Slory | M | 88 | 6.9 | — | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1/1 |
| Karst de Leeuw | G | 88 | 6.7 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Devin Haen | F | 88 | 6.6 | — | — | 1 | — | 2 | 0/1 |
| Alessandro Ciranni | M | 69 | 6.6 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Uriel van Aalst | F | 88 | 6.3 | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | 2/2 |
| Eser Gürbüz | M | 69 | 6.3 | — | — | — | — | — | 1/5 |
| Kasper Boogaard | M | 88 | 6.3 | — | — | — | — | 1 | — |
| Nathan Tjoe-A-On | D | 69 | 6.0 | — | — | — | — | 1 | — |
| Justin Hoogma(C) | D | 88 | 5.9 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Finn Stam | D | 88 | 5.6 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Per van Loon | D | 88 | 5.6 | — | — | — | — | — | 1/1 |
| Substitutes | |||||||||
| Tygo Kotte | G | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Wouter Van der Steen | G | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Jens Mathijsen | D | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Julian van Esdonk | M | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Ismael Mouhoul | M | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Amine Et-Taibi | D | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Thomas Verheydt | F | 19 | 7.6 | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | — | — |
| Hidde ter Avest | D | 19 | 7.0 | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | — |
| Mats Lemmens | D | 19 | 6.3 | — | — | — | — | — | 0/1 |
NEC Nijmegen
| Player | Pos | Min | Rating | G | A | Shots | SoT | Key Passes | Dribbles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tjaronn Chery(C) | F | 88 | 8.2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1/2 |
| Clement Bischoff | M | 66 | 7.7 | — | 1 | — | — | 4 | 3/5 |
| Darko Nejašmić | M | 65 | 7.7 | — | — | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1/1 |
| Adam Tahaui | M | 88 | 7.5 | 1 | — | 3 | 2 | 1 | — |
| Deveron Fonville | D | 76 | 7.3 | — | — | — | — | 2 | — |
| Tobias Storm | D | 88 | 7.2 | — | — | — | — | — | 0/1 |
| Gonzalo Crettaz | G | 88 | 6.6 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Jamiro Monteiro | M | 88 | 6.6 | — | — | 2 | 1 | 2 | — |
| Bryan Linssen | F | 66 | 6.3 | 1 | — | 3 | 1 | 1 | — |
| Brayann Pereira | D | 88 | 6.3 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Dušan Tadić | F | 88 | 6.0 | — | — | — | — | 1 | — |
| Substitutes | |||||||||
| Kevin Kers | F | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Freek Entius | G | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Bram Nuytinck | D | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Willum Thor Willumsson | M | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Gabriel Brás | D | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Isak Hansen Aarøen | M | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Nikolas Polster | G | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Thomas Ouwejan | D | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Kaj Sierhuis | F | 22 | 7.3 | 1 | — | 2 | 2 | — | — |
| Emre Mor | F | 22 | 6.6 | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | — |
| Noe Lebreton | M | 23 | 6.3 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Almugera Kabar | D | 12 | 6.2 | — | — | — | — | — | — |