- Team form: Willem II have 2 wins, 1 draw and 2 losses in their last 5 matches.
- Opponent form: Excelsior have won 4 of their last 5, losing once.
- Home/Away form: Willem II are winless at home in Eredivisie 2026-2027 (1 draw and 1 loss) but Excelsior have 1 win in 1 away (W1).
Tricolores to be tested at home by in-form Kralingers
Willem II outlook
Two Eredivisie 2026-2027 teams Willem II Tilburg and Excelsior Rotterdam will test each other on Saturday when they face off at Koning Willem II Stadion in the Netherlands. The Tricolores, who come into this game as 2.95 underdogs, haven't been as impressive as the odds suggest they should be and the visitors could have enough about them to earn a favorable result.
John Stegeman took over at Willem II on 1st July 2025 and has developed his side around a 4-4-2 system that has the capability to hurt teams on the counter with two strikeforwards and to press from the front to try to win the ball back in the offensive half. Stegeman's men have been stifled at times in the opening weeks of the new campaign, however, going into their fourth Eredivisie 2026/2027 match of the season winless at home (D1, L1).
Tricolores have conceded six goals in those two games and the last two have illustrated their struggles in this competition, a 1-4 home defeat to NEC Nijmegen and a 2-2 draw with SC Heerenveen.
Excelsior form
The Kralingers have made a better start to Eredivisie 2026/2027, taking 6 points from a possible 9 (W2, D1) and currently sit above Willem II in seventh place with them occupying 15th after 1 point from 3 games. Ruben den Uil has overseen a very similar start to his debut campaign at Excelsior and there's every reason to think they can do it again.
Den Uil's men have been in good nick so far, winning 4 of their last 5 games and losing one. That defeat was to PSV Eindhoven, but they quickly got back on track with a 4-0 victory away at Cambuur Leeuwarden followed by a 2-1 home win over Sparta Rotterdam.
- Willem II will need Devin Haen to play at his best here if they are to snag a win against an in-form Excelsior outfit as the striker is their most obvious threat to opposition defenses.
- Noah Naujoks (2 goals in 1 Eredivisie 2026/2027 game) is their danger man, but the fact that Nesto Groen has also bagged two in the last 5 matches shows how Den Uil likes to play with a fluid front-three.
Excelsior set to hold their own in the odds
Excelsior are the slight favorites at 2.16 for this match-up, and we feel they deserve to hold their own at least in the 3-way wagering market as Willem II are a touch overpriced at 2.95, while the draw seems a bit short at 3.75.
We're taking the visitors to edge this one as our main selection as their 4-3-3 system should give them plenty of control over the tempo and, if they get their pressing game working at its best, they can pinch the ball and force the hosts back into their own half. Stegeman's 4-4-2 is a direct set-up and can be effective against some teams in Eredivisie 2026-2027 if his side can win the possession and cause turnovers on the break, but they haven't done that yet this season and may not be able to here.
A narrow away win does seem most likely, but both the over 2.5 goals and BTTS markets could offer good value as Excelsior should be able to exploit space on the wings with their fast full-backs and wingers and the home team can still pack a punch on the attacks if they win the second ball in the attacking half. Over 2.5 goals is available at 1.65 and BTTS at 1.55, both of which look lively for a open game that should suit the away side.
