Heracles vs Excelsior – News and Probable Lineups

With both teams in search of their first Eredivisie win since early February, bottom-placed Heracles faces SBV Excelsior at Asito Stadion in Friday’s fixture for gameweek 28.

Although the teams are eight points apart in the standings, both may find themselves relegated if their fortunes do not change as the 2025-26 season approaches its conclusion.

Match overview

Heracles experienced a brief boost in morale after their 2-1 victory over Fortuna Sittard in February, but that excitement quickly faded.

This win marked FCH’s first victory in the top division since November, ending a three-month drought in league matches as they aimed to regain momentum in their survival battle.

However, instead of catalyzing a turnaround, coach Ernest Faber’s squad has suffered five defeats in six games, only managing to secure a draw in a goalless match against FC Utrecht in early March.

A significant concern during this winless stretch has been their defensive vulnerabilities, with the struggling Almelo team conceding four goals in losses to NEC (4-1), Go Ahead Eagles (4-0), and AZ Alkmaar (4-0), as well as three against defending Eredivisie champions PSV Eindhoven (3-1).

The statistics reveal a troubling defensive record, with 69 goals conceded—far more than the next team on the list, 13th-placed PEC Zwolle, which has allowed 52—with just seven rounds remaining.

Currently sitting eight points behind 15th-placed Excelsior, whom they will host this weekend, a win in Almelo could provide Faber’s squad with a flicker of hope in what seems to be an uphill struggle to maintain their top-flight status after a three-year spell.

Meanwhile, under Ruben den Uil, Excelsior arrives in possibly worse form than their hosts, highlighting the club’s relegation concerns.

The Kralingers are on a five-match Eredivisie losing streak as they prepare for their trip to Asito Stadion, looking to avoid a sixth consecutive loss.

The current situation was almost unimaginable a month ago when they achieved a 2-0 victory at NAC Breda, which extended the Paper Recycling Club’s unbeaten run to five matches, though it included only one win; they had also suffered just one defeat in seven outings, with two wins during that stretch.

However, the team, which has the joint-lowest goal tally in the league (28), has since entered a downward spiral, showcasing the worst form in the league over the last five rounds, despite Friday’s hosts managing only one draw in that same period.

Upon closer examination, one would find that Excelsior has not been outright embarrassed, losing all five of those matches to AZ, Fortuna Sittard, Go Ahead Eagles, Heerenveen, and Feyenoord by just a single goal.

Their latest defeat came in a 2-1 loss during a Rotterdam derby as Ayase Ueda scored twice to turn the match around after Arthur Zagre had given the visitors the lead shortly before the half-hour mark.

Now in danger of sliding into the relegation playoff zone or the bottom two, defeats for Telstar and NAC Breda in gameweek 27 keep Excelsior just outside the feared places.

However, another disappointing result on Friday could see them drop into 16th or 17th, with two and three points, respectively, separating the out-of-form team from the grim reality of immediate relegation.

Team News

On Friday, Heracles will be without several players, including Lequincio Zeefuik due to suspension, while Jeff Reine-Adelaide (knee), Luka Kulenovic, Walid Ould-Chikh (back), Mike te Wierik, and Fabian de Keijzer (hip) are all ruled out.

With Jizz Hornkamp having moved to AZ, Kulenovic has been tasked with carrying more weight, yet it is now essential for another player to step up in the absence of the five-goal forward.

Although Den Uil’s side came out of the Rotterdam derby without major issues, Milano Jonathans (knee) and Calvin Raatsie (shoulder) picked up injuries during gameweek 27, and Jerolldino Bergraaf and Chris-Kevin Nadje will undergo assessments.

Noah Naujoks, a pivotal player for the visitors in 15th place, has netted eight goals, with two of them being match-winners, and he will look to increase his tally.

Notably, and perhaps unsurprisingly, three of his goals have come away from home, making up 37.5% of his total, and it will be interesting to see if he can add to that this weekend.

Heracles probable starting XI:

feather key; Wieckhoff, Mirani, Van Hoorenbeeck, Mesik; Zamburek, Bozinoxi; Ahlstrand, Hrustic, Unuvar; VanGilst

SBV Excelsior probable starting XI:

Van Gassel; Bronkhorst, Widell, Meissen, Zagre; Yegoian, Hartjes, Schouten; Fernandes, Naujoks, De Regt

This fixture shapes up to be a tense and possibly low-quality encounter, with the emphasis likely more on fear of losing rather than the desire to win.

A single error from the league’s most porous defence could be capitalized on, potentially gifting Excelsior a narrow yet crucial victory.