Excelsior suffered a 3-1 defeat away to Willem II in the VriendenLoterij Eredivisie on Friday, 5 September 2026. The match at the Koning Willem II Stadion in Tilburg kicked off at 20:00 and was covered in live reporting by TNT Sports.
Excelsior entered the fixture sitting ninth in the table with six points from three games and a recent form of win-loss-win. Marinus Dijkhuizen's side had scored seven goals and conceded three, giving them a +4 goal difference. Their opponents, Willem II, were 15th before kick-off. Despite this context, Excelsior could not take any points back to Rotterdam.
How did the match unfold?
The first half was an even affair. Both teams created opportunities, but the score remained 0-0 at the break. Willem II struck quickly after the interval, scoring twice within ten minutes of the restart to take a 2-0 lead. Excelsior applied pressure from the wings and managed to pull a goal back, making it 2-1. A late goal from the home side in the closing stages sealed a 3-1 final score. Excelsior's attacking output this season, which had seen them net seven times, could not be added to on this occasion.
What does this result mean for the table?
The loss means Excelsior fails to stays in the Eredivisie's mid-table. The club remains on six points from four matches played. The gap to league leaders AZ Alkmaar, which already stood at six points before this matchday, has now grown. Fans can follow the latest league positions on our standings page. While their goal-scoring record remains a positive, conceding three goals in this match negatively impacts their goal difference.
What is next for Excelsior?
Attention now turns to the next fixture on the calendar. Excelsior has a week to regroup before their next league assignment. The squad, which can be viewed on our squad page, must prepare for a home match against FC Utrecht on Saturday, 12 September 2026. It presents a fresh opportunity for the Rotterdam club to pick up points. The full schedule is available on the fixtures page.
