NEC Nijmegen host SBV Excelsior at the Goffertstadion on 22 August 2026, with a win taking either side into the top half for the first time this season. Both sides sit ninth and tenth on three points after two games, so the stakes are already real three matchdays in. NEC arrive fresh off a European exit while Excelsior look to bounce back after being thumped at PSV.
Dick Schreuder and Ruben den Uil haven't met enough times to draw meaningful conclusions from the head to head, so the game is best read through tactics rather than any managerial rivalry. Schreuder took charge at NEC in July 2025 after Rogier Meijer left and den Uil has been at Excelsior since July 2024 following the departure of Marinus Dijkhuizen.
NEC lost 1-3 to Bodø/Glimt in Champions League qualifying on 19 August then beat Willem II 4-1 three days later. Excelsior follow the same broad pattern: a dominant 4-0 win over Cambuur on 7 August, then a 1-2 defeat at PSV a week later. Both teams can run over lesser opponents and get punished when the quality steps up.
Schreuder builds everything around quick transitions and vertical passing, with Tjaronn Chery as the midfielder he runs his build up through, whose movement drags defensive midfielders out of position and frees Bryan Linssen to run in behind. Neither side has any absences to report, so den Uil will have his full options available as he decides between his 4-3-3 and 4-2-3-1 shapes. Linssen scores by arriving late into the box and being clinical when the ball drops right, which means Excelsior's centre backs have to track a second runner while already dealing with the ball.
Den Uil's system lives on the counter with Noah Naujoks as the outlet, quick enough to punish any NEC full back who pushes too far, while Casper Widell anchors the defence with the job of tracking Linssen throughout. The practical question is whether Excelsior can stay compact long enough for the counter to actually work. If NEC maintain their tempo in the first half they may force enough hurried clearances to keep Excelsior pinned but if Excelsior absorb the early pressure and find Naujoks at the right moment, that is where the game gets interesting.
NEC have won the last two home meetings without conceding, 5-0 and 2-0 and Excelsior have consistently struggled under NEC's press in this fixture, conceding nine goals across those two meetings. Winning today in similar fashion would be the clearest possible response to the Bodø/Glimt defeat. Chery's delivery into the box gives Linssen a route to goal that Excelsior's backline hasn't dealt with well historically and set pieces represent an additional concern for den Uil's defence if NEC build an early lead.
NEC 2-1 Excelsior. NEC have won the last two home meetings 5-0 and 2-0 and Chery and Linssen are the highest quality attacking pairing on either side today. Naujoks will find moments on the counter and Excelsior's defensive shape is disciplined enough to keep this from becoming a rout but the home record in this fixture is unambiguous.
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?.
