NEC Nijmegen vs Excelsior Rotterdam

Both sides sit level on three points after two rounds, making this Goffertstadion clash an early chance to push toward the European qualification places. NEC stumbled to a 1-2 home defeat against Telstar before hitting back with a 4-1 win at Willem II, while Excelsior have looked sharper, thrashing Cambuur 4-0 away before a narrow 2-1 loss at PSV. Up front, keep an eye on Kaj Sierhuis, Tjaronn Chery and Bryan Linssen for the hosts, though NEC will be without Perr Schuurs, Koki Ogawa and Philippe Sandler. Excelsior are missing their joint-top scorer Noah Naujoks and defender David Garden. History leans heavily toward NEC, who have won the last three meetings without conceding, including a 5-0 rout in 2025 — but Excelsior's direct, aerial-minded style could make this a closer contest than the recent head-to-head suggests. Our prediction: 2-1