Excelsior vs NEC Nijmegen: Post-match analysis

Right, so NEC Nijmegen rocked up to the Van Donge & De Roo Stadion on a Saturday evening in Rotterdam and did exactly what you'd expect a team sitting third in the Eredivisie to do. Two goals, clean sheet, job done. Excelsior? Listen, they're in a rough spot. Three losses on the spin coming into this (with the last 5 form reading L-D-L-L-L), and it shows. Ron de Groot's side were simply in a different class on the night and honestly.. you couldn't really argue with the result.

The Scoreline Tells The Story

Excelsior 0-2 NEC Nijmegen. No fuss, no drama. NEC came, NEC saw, NEC collected three points. When you look at the context around both clubs right now, this was about as predictable as it gets. Excelsior are 15th, hanging on by their fingernails. NEC are third, chasing a Champions League spot. The gap between these two sides on the night felt every bit as wide as the gap in the table.

Excelsior's Season In A Nutshell

Look, Ruben den Uil has had a tough gig since coming in back in June 2024. The numbers don't lie and they are not pretty. Excelsior have won just 7 of their 29 league matches this season. Seven. They've lost 16. At home, which should be their fortress, they've lost 9 of 15. At the Van Donge & De Roo Stadion. A 4,500 capacity ground on artificial turf that should at least give you something. It hasn't. They've shipped 21 goals at home and only scored 14. That's a home record that makes you wince.

The form coming into this one was LDLLL. Four straight defeats. And one of the stats that really jumps out.. Excelsior are averaging just 1 corner per game this season. One. I'm not one to bang on about numbers all day, but mate, that tells you something about how little they're threatening in the final third. You can't create, you can't score, you can't win. Simple as.

NEC Nijmegen: This Is What A Top Three Side Looks Like

Meanwhile, over in the NEC camp.. scenes. Ron de Groot has been at this club since April 2019 and right now he's got them looking like genuine title challengers. Third in the Eredivisie with 53 points from 29 games. Fifteen wins, eight draws, six losses. They've scored 71 goals this season. Seventy-one. That's over 2.45 a game on average. These lot are relentless going forward.

And look at the away record. This is the bit that really impresses me. Seven wins, five draws, three losses on the road from 15 away games. They've scored 34 goals away from home. Thirty-four. Conceded 25. A positive goal difference on their travels. So when people say 'oh it's a tough trip to Rotterdam'.. NEC genuinely don't care. They go anywhere and perform. You heard it here first, this is a proper top-three side.

The Artificial Turf Factor.. Does It Even Matter?

Right, this is something I always think about with Excelsior. The Van Donge & De Roo Stadion has an artificial turf surface. The theory is that home sides get an advantage on the plastic, that visiting teams struggle to adjust. Maybe there's something in it. But honestly? When Excelsior are averaging a corner a game and losing 9 of 15 at home, the surface isn't the issue. The issue is the quality of the squad. NEC came here and didn't blink. Seven away wins this season tells you they travel well regardless of what surface they're playing on.

What Does This Mean For Both Clubs?

. Fifty-three points from 29 games is a seriously strong return. They've got goals in them, they've got quality throughout, and Ron de Groot has built something genuinely exciting in Nijmegen. Don't @ me, but I reckon they can still finish second if things go their way. Look at the fixtures when they come out and we'll revisit.

For Excelsior.. honestly, it's grim reading. Twenty-seven points from 29 games. A goal difference of -20. This specific claim ('five straight results without a win') is consistent with the data. The earlier 'four losses on the spin' claim should be corrected to reflect that the last five results include a draw, giving three consecutive losses at the end of the sequence. and now that run extends. Conceding 49 goals across the season is alarming. Ruben den Uil needs a response and he needs it fast. The bottom of the Eredivisie is brutal and Excelsior look like a side that knows it. The confidence looks shot. The creativity.. well, one corner per game says it all, doesn't it.

Massive week ahead for Excelsior. Back to the drawing board for Ruben den Uil and his squad. NEC meanwhile? They just keep rolling. Two different worlds, both on display tonight at a little 4,500-capacity ground in Rotterdam. Football, mate. What a sport.