Excelsior Rotterdam vs FC Groningen

Excelsior and FC Groningen arrive at Woudestein locked together on 11 points after seven rounds, both sitting just outside the Eredivisie's top half in 7th and 8th place. Neither side is fighting relegation yet, but an early win here would offer real breathing room and momentum heading into the autumn fixtures. Recent form tells two different stories. Excelsior have been steady rather than spectacular, following wins over Sparta Rotterdam and Willem II with draws against NEC and Ajax sandwiched around a loss to Utrecht. Groningen endured a brutal start, including a 5-1 hammering by PSV, before stabilizing with a draw against Go Ahead Eagles and a 3-0 statement win over PEC Zwolle. Up front, Noah Naujoks remains Excelsior's main outlet, while Brynjólfur Willumsson and Thom van Bergen have carried Groningen's attack. Historically this fixture favors the visitors, who've won 12 of their 21 meetings, and remarkably none of the last ten have ended in a draw. Our prediction: 2-1