Go Ahead Eagles host Telstar at De Adelaarshorst on 23 October 2026 for Eredivisie Matchday 10. The hosts sit ninth with 11 points from nine games but four draws in their last five have made that look like wasted ground, whereas Telstar, 16th with six points, arrive needing something to change.
Joseph Oosting took over at Go Ahead Eagles in July 2026, replacing Melvin Boel, while Henk Brugge has been at Telstar since May 2026 after Anthony Correia departed, leaving no meaningful head to head record between them to draw on.
Go Ahead Eagles' last five reads L D D D D: not losing but not winning either. Their most recent outing was a 1 4 away at PEC Zwolle that raised serious questions about their defensive shape when pushed back, while Telstar's form is worse at L D L D L and around ten goals in nine league games is the only number worth dwelling on.
Oosting is working around three absences, with Pim Saathof out until January 2027 with a cruciate ligament tear while Julius Dirksen is sidelined with a calf problem and Nick Marsman's knee injury has forced the club to bring in Jasper Cillessen as goalkeeper cover. Henk Brugge has lost Rui Mendes to an undisclosed injury, which strips Telstar of one of their more experienced attacking options and leaves Þórisson, Brouwer and Martha as the only functional attacking choices, with no cover if one of them picks up a knock.
Go Ahead Eagles set up in a 4 2 3 1 with Stefán Ingi Sigurdarson as the striker everything runs through, supplied by Victor Edvardsen, Mathis Suray and Søren Tengstedt from behind. At home they have generally imposed themselves on opponents this season, though the draw run tells you the goals haven't followed and Sigurdarson against Telstar's central defenders will tell us quickly whether that changes.
Telstar line up in a 4 3 3, with Tyrone Owusu operating as the deepest of the three midfielders and the front three of Nökkvi Þórisson, Patrick Brouwer and Ar'jany Martha ahead of him. Losing Mendes places even more responsibility on those three and ten goals from nine games doesn't suggest they are capable of carrying it. Owusu's ability to disrupt Go Ahead Eagles' midfield will matter and without Saathof and Dirksen the cover behind Go Ahead Eagles' midfield looks thinner, which is precisely where Telstar's front three will look to run.
The last five meetings are split two wins apiece with a draw and Telstar won 4 2 here in September 2025, the kind of result that stays in a dressing room. Away from home without Mendes and carrying only ten goals from nine games, however, they look short of what they would need to repeat it.
Go Ahead Eagles will look to work Sigurdarson at set pieces, since he wins headers regularly and Telstar's defensive height could be tested there, making it one of the more likely routes to a goal if the game stays tight early on.
Go Ahead Eagles 2 1 Telstar. Sigurdarson is the clearest route to goal for the home side and a Telstar side missing Mendes looks vulnerable to a home team desperate to end the draw run. Away from home without him, they look short of what they would need to repeat September 2025.
Ryan Baldi
Football Writer
Ryan Baldi is a professional football writer with years of experience and has been featured by respected outlets such as the BBC, The Guardian, Sky Sports, DAZN, FourFourTwo, ESPN, Yahoo Sport and Football365. He has also written several books including Arsène Who?.
