Sittard vs Excelsior – News and Probable Lineups

The 10th round of the 2026-27 Eredivisie season will witness Fortuna Sittard take on SBV Excelsior at the Fortuna Sittard Stadion this coming Sunday afternoon.

Both teams are looking to secure their first victory since the league resumed following the international break in September and October.

Match overview

Having spent three seasons just outside the top half, Fortuna Sittard is aiming for a push towards European competition this year. They will want to avoid any regrets regarding last Sunday’s 2-2 draw against NEC, which saw them drop points after being in a winning position for the second consecutive match.

Danny Buijs’s squad managed to go ahead with 1-0 and 2-1 leads but failed to maintain their upper hand, ultimately conceding a late equalizer in the 93rd minute to Willum Thor Willumsson that saw them share the points at Stadion de Goffert.

Despite their difficulties holding onto leads recently, Fortuna’s current points total of 15 from nine matches represents their best start at this point since they returned to the Eredivisie in the 2018-19 season. There’s a sense of optimism that this could be the year they end their 28-year wait for continental competition.

Fortuna has achieved four consecutive home victories against Excelsior and has remained unbeaten on their home ground in nine encounters dating back to 2006. However, their recent performance at home raises concerns, having only secured four points from as many games in Sittard-Geleen this season.

A significant portion of Fortuna’s 16 goals this season has been scored within the first 15 minutes, indicating their propensity to start matches swiftly. An early goal this weekend might set the stage for their first home victory since mid-August.

Fresh from a heavy 5-1 loss to Groningen, Excelsior faced another crushing defeat at the Abe Lenstra Stadion, where Heerenveen comfortably won 4-0 in the opening match of round nine.

What commenced as a promising season—garnering 10 points from the first 15—has quickly unravelled for Ruben den Uil’s team. Excelsior has accumulated only two points from their last five matches, worse than any other team during this period.

Having only experienced a three-match losing streak once since September 2025, De Roodzwarten are eager to end their current downturn against Fortuna. They possess considerable attacking power away from home, having netted 11 goals on the road, which ranks as the joint fourth highest in the division.

Nevertheless, Excelsior must bolster their defence after conceding at least two goals in five consecutive matches, a stark contrast to the solid start that saw them maintain two clean sheets in their opening four games while only allowing three goals, two of which were against reigning champions PSV Eindhoven.

This Sunday’s fixture marks the beginning of a challenging sequence of four consecutive league matches against teams currently in the top half for the visitors, who must rise to the occasion to prevent their season from descending further.

Team News

The Fortuna duo of Ramazan Bayram and Ivan Marquez have yet to feature this season and remain sidelined due to injuries.

Yassin Oukili is expected to miss a third game in succession for the home side due to a groin issue, but Jasper Dahlhaus may return following a setback during the international break.

Following his brace in the previous match, Anthony Descotte now has five league goals in nine appearances, making him a player to keep an eye on.

Noah Naujoks made a brief return with a 13-minute appearance against Heerenveen, providing Excelsior with a fully fit squad for Sunday’s encounter.

Summer signing Agust Thorsteinsson is yet to find the net in his seven outings for Excelsior, which might lead to him being relegated to the bench at Sittard.

Fortuna Sittard probable starting XI:

Branderhorst; Pinto, Van Ottele, Guth, Brittijn, Hubner; Simons, Michut, ‘t Zand; Descotte, Zeefuik

SBV Excelsior probable starting XI:

Van Gassel; Janssen, Plug, Widell, Moreira; Hartjes, Meissen, Yegoian; Sliti, Garden, Silva

Branderhorst; Pinto, Van Ottele, Guth, Brittijn, Hubner; Simons, Michut, ‘t Zand; Descotte, Zeefuik

Van Gassel; Janssen, Plug, Widell, Moreira; Hartjes, Meissen, Yegoian; Sliti, Garden, Silva