Willem II vs Fortuna Sittard Prediction: Stegeman's Side Face Buijs Counter-Attack Test

Willem II host Fortuna Sittard at the Koning Willem II Stadion on 19 September 2026, Eredivisie Matchweek 7. The home side sit 17th with just two points from six games and a goal difference of minus thirteen after conceding nineteen times already, which is the kind of start that puts a manager's future in the conversation. Fortuna are seventh with ten points, close enough to the European spots to care, even if their own defensive record is nothing to write home about. For Willem II this is simply a game they cannot afford to keep losing, for Fortuna it is another chance to bank three points on a night when their squad is the more settled of the two.

John Stegeman took charge of Willem II on 1 July 2025, replacing Peter Maes via interim Kristof Aelbrecht, while Danny Buijs has led Fortuna since 1 July 2023 after replacing Julio Velázquez. The two coaches have little documented head to head history, so the real interest is in how their systems clash on the night rather than any personal rivalry.

Willem II arrive having gone L D L D L across their last five, most recently taking a 1-5 hammering at home from Ajax on 15 September following a 1-1 draw with AZ around 11 September. Fortuna's sequence reads L W W L W, though that 1-5 to Ajax around 12 September is a reminder they can be got at too. Willem II have conceded nineteen in six, Fortuna, despite the Ajax mauling, have at least shown they can outscore opponents.

Willem II are without Thomas Didillon-Hödl (hamstring), Justin Hoogma (long term knee problem expected to keep him out for months), Amine Lachkar (groin) and Vito van Crooij (ankle). Losing Hoogma is particularly damaging, as he is one of the few reliable options at centre back and his absence pushes younger players into high stakes duels at a time when the side is already shipping goals freely. Fortuna are without Iván Márquez, Siebe Wylin, Sven Simons and Kristoffer Peterson, which forces Buijs to reshuffle his defensive and midfield options and could affect the balance of his preferred 5 3 2, though none of the four absentees are first choice attackers, so Zeefuik leads the line as usual.

Stegeman has tried to build a 4 2 3 1 at Willem II but has not yet found a settled defensive shape and the numbers, nineteen conceded in six, reflect that. Devin Haen, the squad's top scorer with three goals, needs to lead the line and Tonny Vilhena needs to control the middle if Willem II are going to create anything meaningful, though without Hoogma the backline looks exposed going into this one. Fortuna's 5 3 2 puts Lequincio Zeefuik as the main goalscoring threat and the key tactical question is whether their wing backs will push high enough to pin back Willem II's full backs and keep the attacking moves simple, or whether Haen can find space between Fortuna's lines before their defensive shape reorganises. Willem II's best hope is probably Vilhena slowing the game down and Haen holding the ball up to let midfield runners join late.

Recent meetings between the two sides have been fairly even, with goals on both sides.

Set pieces are an obvious vulnerability for Willem II given the defensive absences, especially at corners and free kicks where Fortuna's organised shape could do real damage and Fortuna also need to keep an eye on Haen when the ball is dead.

Fortuna Sittard to win 2-1. Willem II have conceded nineteen goals in six games, are missing four defenders and have yet to show anything close to defensive reliability. Fortuna's counter attacking setup, with Zeefuik as the primary outlet, is well suited to exploiting the spaces Willem II tend to leave and their wing backs should have the freedom to advance against a reshuffled backline, which is likely where the decisive chances come from. Haen is a threat, with three of the team's goals this season but the defensive numbers are too damning to back against here. Willem II have scored in three of their six games despite the collapse at the back, so a goal back is plausible.