Excelsior vs Utrecht prediction, odds and how to watch

Sparta Rotterdam twice led and twice allowed Utrecht back into the game before a 90th-minute header rescued a point, but the deeper story is a defensive structure that continues to cost them in ways that are entirely correctable.

PSV Eindhoven took all three points at Excelsior with a 2-1 victory, but the match statistics reveal a performance of overwhelming territorial dominance that the scoreline only partially reflects. The interesting thing is how thoroughly this game was controlled by the away side from the very first minute.

AZ Alkmaar turned a one-goal half-time lead into a four-goal win with three goals in the opening four minutes of the second half, exposing a Utrecht defensive structure that simply could not cope with the transition. This was a coaching issue long before it became a scoreline.

Feyenoord host Utrecht at De Kuip on Sunday knowing their fortress has developed some unexpected cracks, while a Utrecht side yet to win on the road this season arrive carrying defensive problems that make them dangerous company for the wrong reasons.

Ajax have looked like a different team depending on the venue this season, and Excelsior arrive at the Johan Cruyff Arena on Saturday carrying their best away form in months. The structural questions surrounding Ajax at home make this a more interesting fixture than the table suggests.

Two sides carrying contrasting home and away records collide in Rotterdam on Sunday, with Excelsior desperate to reverse a damaging pattern at their own ground and Utrecht looking to find the consistency away from home that has so far eluded them.

Willem II host Excelsior on Saturday evening having conceded eight goals in their opening two Eredivisie fixtures, while the visitors arrive carrying one of the division's most convincing away records. The data tells a stark story, and it is not a comfortable one for the home side.

Utrecht sit bottom of the early Eredivisie table with two defeats from two games, and GO Ahead Eagles arrive in form enough to punish them. Saturday evening could get very uncomfortable very quickly.