Eredivisie · Matchday 12 
Our pick Home win Missed
Excelsior under pressure after four straight defeats
Excelsior need a response after four consecutive league losses, with GO Ahead Eagles arriving three points ahead of them. The visitors have also lost their most recent match, setting up a meeting between two sides seeking a reset.
📍 Van Donge & De Roo Stadion
Preview written:
All Matchday 12 matches Full head-to-head
Match report
Final result: Excelsior 0-1 GO Ahead Eagles.
Match statistics (home team first). Shots: 14–6; Shots on target: 2–2; Corners: 7–0; Expected goals: 0.84–0.61.
Goals
- 72' Søren Tengstedt · Mathis Suray · GO Ahead Eagles
Cards
- 81' Tomas Galvez · GO Ahead Eagles
- 90+5' Alireza Jahanbakhsh · Excelsior
Match stats
⭐ Top-rated player: S. Tengstedt (GO Ahead Eagles) 8.1
Ratings and statistics: API-Football.
Confirmed lineups
Excelsior · 4-3-3
- 1S. van GasselG
- 3R. MeissenD
- 4C. WidellD
- 14J. PlugD
- 12K. BosD
- 10N. NaujoksM
- 20L. HartjesM
- 8I. YegoianM
- 7A. SlitiF
- 9Mario DomínguezF
- 30Á. ÞorsteinssonF
Coach: R. den Uil
GO Ahead Eagles · 4-2-3-1
- 24J. CillessenG
- 2A. SampstedD
- 4J. KramerD
- 26J. DirksenD
- 27Tomas GalvezD
- 21M. MeulensteenM
- 34Y. RahmouniM
- 23T. BaetenM
- 10S. TengstedtM
- 17M. SurayM
- 9S. SigurðarsonF
Coach: J. Oosting
Match facts
Recent form
Last 5 league games, latest on the right
Goals per game
| · | Scored | Conceded |
|---|---|---|
| Excelsior | 1.5 | 2.5 |
| GO Ahead Eagles | 2.1 | 2.5 |
League position
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | GO Ahead Eagles | 11 | -4 | 14 |
| 15 | Excelsior | 11 | -12 | 11 |
Last meetings
- 2026 Excelsior 0-1 GO Ahead Eagles
- 2025 GO Ahead Eagles 2-0 Excelsior
- 2024 GO Ahead Eagles 3-0 Excelsior
- 2023 Excelsior 1-1 GO Ahead Eagles
- 2023 Excelsior 2-1 GO Ahead Eagles
PreviaXI model
Model confidence: Open game
- Expected goals (model)
- 1.67 – 1.58
- Double chance
- 12 · 75%1X 64% · X2 61%
- Over 2.5 goals
- 63%Over 1.5: 85% · Over 3.5: 41%
- Both teams score
- 66%
- Clean sheet
- 21% – 19%Excelsior–GO Ahead Eagles
- Half-time result
- X · 38%1 32% · 2 30%
- Half-time / full-time
- 1/1 · 24%2/2 21% · X/1 13%
- Expected corners
- 9.74.8 – 4.9 · Over 9.5: 51%
- Expected cards
- 2.51.0 – 1.5 · Over 3.5: 25%
Statistical model based on expected goals (xG), results and match statistics from the last two seasons. For information only. How our model works →
A response is needed in Rotterdam
Pressure is building on Excelsior as they prepare to face GO Ahead Eagles in the Eredivisie. Excelsior have lost four league matches in a row and are without a win in seven, leaving them 15th with 11 points after 11 games. Their visitors sit 10th on 14 points, five places and three points above them.
That makes this an important chance for Excelsior to halt their slide and close the gap. But their home record offers little comfort: they have won once and lost four times in five league games at Van Donge & De Roo Stadion, scoring five goals and conceding 19.
Excelsior’s defensive burden
Excelsior’s recent run has been particularly costly at the back. They have scored only three goals and conceded 21 across their last five league matches, which included a draw and four defeats. Overall, they have conceded 28 goals in 11 games.
GO Ahead Eagles are not arriving in strong form either. Their last five league outings brought one win, two draws and two defeats, and their most recent match ended in defeat. They have scored eight and conceded 14 over that spell. Away from home, they have yet to win in six league matches, drawing three and losing three.
Recent meetings favour the visitors
GO Ahead Eagles have won three of the last five meetings, with Excelsior winning once and one match drawn. The latest encounter, in March 2026, ended 1-0 to GO Ahead Eagles at Excelsior. Three of those five meetings featured two goals or fewer.
Players to watch: the attacking response
Excelsior have scored 16 goals in 11 league matches, while GO Ahead Eagles have scored 23. The hosts will need a sharper attacking display than their recent tally suggests if they are to make their home advantage count. Both teams have struggled to keep opponents out: Excelsior have two clean sheets in the league, while GO Ahead Eagles have none.
Our prediction
Excelsior’s losing streak and home defensive record make this a stern test, but the statistical lean is towards a narrow home win. Their visitors’ winless away run leaves room for Excelsior to respond, though the recent defensive numbers point to goals at both ends.
Excelsior 2-1 GO Ahead Eagles
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