Excelsior vs Go Ahead Eagles – News and Probable Lineups

Excelsior Rotterdam is set to take on Go Ahead Eagles this Sunday at the Van Donge & De Roo Stadion in a Round 25 showdown in the Eredivisie.

Both teams enter this matchup with 26 points in the league, with Go Ahead Eagles sitting 13th and ahead of Excelsior in 14th place due to a better goal difference.

Match overview

Entering this match, Excelsior has experienced back-to-back losses against AZ Alkmaar and Fortuna Sittard, marking the third occasion this season they have faced consecutive defeats in the Eredivisie, having had similar runs at the start of the season and again in October.

Ruben den Uil’s team has managed only two victories from their last ten league contests, accompanied by four draws and four losses, with four of their total victories this season achieved at home.

In their last six matches, the Roodzwarten have tallied one win, three draws, and two defeats, and they have not claimed a home victory since their 2-1 win over PEC Zwolle in December 2025.

When they last faced Go Ahead Eagles in October, Excelsior fell 2-0 at De Adelaarshorst, with Mathis Suray scoring both goals in the second half.

The rivalry between these two clubs stretches back to 1955 across multiple levels of Dutch football, with 86 encounters resulting in Excelsior winning 25 times, losing 43 times, and drawing 18 matches.

Go Ahead Eagles recently snapped an 11-match winless streak in the league with a decisive 4-0 victory over bottom-dwelling Heracles Almelo last weekend, marking their first Eredivisie triumph of 2026.

This success came after a narrow 1-0 loss to Feyenoord, where Casper Tengstedt converted a penalty in the 92nd minute to determine the outcome.

Since defeating Feyenoord 2-1 in their initial meeting of the season in early November, Melvin Boel’s men have not won any of their next 11 league fixtures, achieving just two victories in all competitions during this time, including a penalty shootout win over Heracles on January 14 in the KNVB Beker.

Despite their struggles, the pride of the IJssel remains four points above the relegation zone, having garnered only 10 points from a possible 36 during this challenging stretch.

Encouragingly for Kowet, they have suffered just one defeat in their last 11 clashes with Excelsior, boasting five wins and five draws since 2015.

Team News

Excelsior continues to be without Hamdi Akujobi due to a long-term knee injury, but Ilias Bronkhorst is back in contention after serving a suspension for accumulated yellow cards.

Lewis Schouten has also rejoined the squad following his recovery from the injury that forced him off against AZ Alkmaar.

For Go Ahead Eagles, Robbin Weijenberg and Pim Saathof are still sidelined with knee injuries, and Gerrit Nauber remains unavailable due to a leg issue.

Dean Ruben James is close to returning to action, but Thibo Baeten will once again miss out following his red card against Feyenoord.

Mathis Suray finished the last match with an injury concern, and defender Julius Dirksen was substituted against Heracles after a suspected issue.

SBV Excelsior probable starting XI:

De Busser; Sampsted, Van Zwam, Kramer, Adelgaard; Meulensteen, Breum, Goldmine; Margaret, Tengstedt, Edvardsen

Go Ahead Eagles probable starting XI:

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

As both teams feel the pressure in the relegation battle, a cautious approach could characterize Sunday’s match, with neither manager wishing to risk any further setbacks.

While Excelsior has the home advantage and will be keen to respond positively, the recent form in this rivalry and the stakes in play may lead to a shared outcome.