Eredivisie · Matchday 11 
Our pick1–2Correct result
Excelsior under pressure as in-form Twente arrive in Rotterdam
Excelsior have lost four of their last five league matches and conceded 14 goals in that run. Fourth-placed Twente arrive with a stronger recent record and a clear opportunity to exploit the hosts’ defensive struggles.
📍 Van Donge & De Roo Stadion
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All Matchday 11 matchesFull head-to-head
Match report
Twente overwhelmed Excelsior 9-0 after Nesto groen was sent off for the hosts in the fifth minute. Wout Weghorst opened the scoring in the 12th minute, assisted by Sondre Holmlund Orjasaeter, and the pair combined again for goals in the 32nd and 33rd minutes. Thomas Van den Belt made it 4-0 in the 39th minute, before Daan Rots scored in first-half stoppage time, again set up by Orjasaeter. Jordy Bawuah added a sixth in the 49th minute, with Orjasaeter assisting. Weghorst converted a penalty in the 62nd minute, Ramiz Zerrouki scored another penalty in the 71st, and Rots completed the scoring in the 82nd minute, assisted by Van den Belt.
Twente had 80% possession and recorded 28 shots, including 15 on target, compared with none for Excelsior. The visitors’ expected goals total was 6.29, while Excelsior’s was 0. W. Weghorst was the top-rated player, with a rating of 9.8. The 9-0 result was more decisive than the pre-match prediction of a 2-1 Twente win, with the model assigning Twente a 54% chance of victory.
Goals
- 12'Wout Weghorst · Sondre Holmlund Orjasaeter · Twente
- 32'Wout Weghorst · Sondre Holmlund Orjasaeter · Twente
- 33'Wout Weghorst · Sondre Holmlund Orjasaeter · Twente
- 39'Thomas Van den Belt · Twente
- 45+1'Daan Rots · Sondre Holmlund Orjasaeter · Twente
- 49'Jordy Bawuah · Sondre Holmlund Orjasaeter · Twente
- 62'Wout Weghorst (pen.) · Twente
- 71'Ramiz Zerrouki (pen.) · Twente
- 82'Daan Rots · Thomas Van den Belt · Twente
Cards
- 5'Nesto groen · Excelsior
- 17'Wout Weghorst · Twente
- 43'Lennard Hartjes · Excelsior
Match stats
⭐ Top-rated player: W. Weghorst (Twente) 9.8
Ratings and statistics: API-Football.
Confirmed lineups
Excelsior · 4-3-3
- 1S. van GasselG
- 3R. MeissenD
- 4C. WidellD
- 14J. PlugD
- 12K. BosD
- 6D. van VianenM
- 10N. NaujoksM
- 20L. HartjesM
- 7A. SlitiF
- 28N. GroenF
- 8I. YegoianF
Coach: R. den Uil
Twente · 4-3-3
- 16J. DrommelG
- 28B. van RooijD
- 3R. PröpperD
- 4R. NijstadD
- 29A. AdelgaardD
- 6R. ZerroukiM
- 10Y. TahaM
- 20T. van den BeltM
- 11D. RotsF
- 9W. WeghorstF
- 27S. ØrjasæterF
Coach: J. van den Brom
Match facts
Recent form
Last 5 league games, latest on the right
Goals per game
| · | Scored | Conceded |
|---|---|---|
| Excelsior | 1.6 | 1.9 |
| Twente | 1.9 | 1.0 |
League position
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Twente | 10 | +9 | 20 |
| 13 | Excelsior | 10 | -3 | 11 |
Last meetings
- 2026Twente0-0Excelsior
- 2025Excelsior1-0Twente
- 2024Excelsior0-3Twente
- 2023Twente4-2Excelsior
- 2023Excelsior0-0Twente
Absences
Excelsior
No reported absences
Twente
- OutM. Bruns · Inactive
- OutS. Lemkin · Muscle Injury
- OutF. Thorvaldsen · Inactive
- OutD. Weidmann · Red Card
- DoubtfulL. Unnerstall · Inactive
- DoubtfulB. van Rooij · Injury
PreviaXI model
Model confidence: Medium
- Predicted score
- 1-2
- Expected goals (model)
- 1.04 – 1.78
- Double chance
- X2 · 80%1X 46% · 12 74%
- Over 2.5 goals
- 53%Over 1.5: 79% · Over 3.5: 31%
- Both teams score
- 55%
- Clean sheet
- 17% – 36%Excelsior–Twente
- Half-time result
- 2 · 41%1 19% · X 40%
- Half-time / full-time
- 2/2 · 33%X/2 17% · X/X 16%
- Expected corners
- 8.83.7 – 5.1 · Over 9.5: 39%
- Expected cards
- 2.71.3 – 1.4 · Over 3.5: 28%
- Most likely scores
- 1-113%
- 1-210%
- 0-29%
- 0-19%
- 0-08%
Statistical model based on expected goals (xG), results and match statistics from the last two seasons. For information only. How our model works →
Excelsior need a response
Four defeats in five matches have put Excelsior under pressure ahead of Twente’s visit to Rotterdam. The hosts have conceded 14 goals in that stretch, scoring only four, and their latest league sequence reads three straight losses followed by a draw and another defeat.
The gap in the table underlines the challenge: Excelsior are 13th with 11 points after 10 games, while Twente sit fourth on 20. Excelsior’s home record is a particular concern, with three losses in four league matches at the Van Donge & De Roo Stadion.
Form points towards Twente
Twente have taken a markedly different route into this fixture. They have won three of their last five, scoring nine goals and conceding five, and have six victories from 10 league games overall. Their away record is less dominant—two wins, two draws and one defeat—but their recent balance of attack and defence is far stronger than Excelsior’s.
Excelsior have scored 16 league goals this season, but their 19 conceded already leave them with a negative goal difference. They have also yet to keep a clean sheet at home. Twente, by contrast, have conceded 10 times in the league and have kept two clean sheets on the road.
Recent meetings offer mixed signals
The last five league meetings are evenly split in terms of wins: Twente have won twice, Excelsior once, and two matches ended goalless. Excelsior’s most recent home meeting with Twente brought a 1-0 victory in August 2025, though the sides drew 0-0 in their latest encounter in January.
Twente face several absences
Twente will be without M. Bruns and F. Thorvaldsen, both listed as inactive, while S. Lemkin is sidelined with a muscle injury and D. Weidmann is suspended after a red card. L. Unnerstall and B. van Rooij are questionable, listed as inactive and injured respectively.
Defensive pressure is the key
Excelsior’s recent concession rate makes their defence the central concern, especially against a Twente side averaging 1.8 goals per away league match. Twente have scored nine times across their last five outings, while Excelsior have managed just four in the same span. The hosts’ home win over Twente last season is a reminder that the visitors cannot take the fixture lightly, but the current form favours the away side.
Our prediction
Twente’s sharper recent attack and more reliable defence give them the edge, even with several players unavailable. Excelsior should have chances at home, but their run of defeats and defensive record point to another difficult afternoon.
Excelsior 1-2 Twente
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