Willem II vs Cambuur Prediction: Koster's Interim Reign Faces Plat's Balanced Attack

Willem II host SC Cambuur at the Koning Willem II Stadion on 24 October 2026, with Adrie Koster taking charge as interim coach for the first time and this could hardly be a more daunting debut. Bottom placed Willem II have just two points from nine games and are still waiting for their first win, whereas Cambuur arrive in 14th with nine points and unbeaten in their last five. There is no meaningful prior head-to-head between Koster and Johan Plat, Koster only returned to the Willem II dugout on 21 October after being appointed on a temporary basis, while Plat has been in charge at Cambuur since April 2026.

Willem II's last five reads L L L L D, the most recent of which was a 2-3 home defeat to Sparta Rotterdam on 17 October. Cambuur's run of D W D W D is considerably more encouraging, including a 2-2 draw away at AZ Alkmaar on 18 October and a 1-0 win at PEC Zwolle the week before.

Willem II are without Amine Lachkar (groin), Justin Hoogma (knee), Thomas Didillon and Wouter van der Steen (both injured), stripping them of defensive structure and goalkeeping cover they can ill afford to lose. Cambuur have their own absentees: Jamal Amofa is out for the season with a cruciate injury, Daan Visser is still recovering from the same, Wout Asselman is unfit and Devid Bouah is suspended, though their attacking depth looks intact despite all that.

Willem II tend to set up in a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 but the backline has looked shaky all season and losing Lachkar, Hoogma, Didillon and van der Steen at once only makes things worse. Koster will lean on Tonny Vilhena to hold midfield together, while Devin Haen and Vito van Crooij will need to manufacture whatever chances the hosts can muster. Cambuur, for their part, use a 4-2-3-1 that has produced better organisation and more consistent finishing, with Rafik El Arguioui and Ilyes Hamache providing attacking width and Nicolas Binder leading the line. The absentees are a concern but Cambuur's recent run suggests they can cope without them.

The most telling battles will be Haen and van Crooij trying to create against a Cambuur backline that has looked solid in recent weeks but Willem II's bigger concern is what happens in behind when Cambuur push forward, the lack of experienced centre backs could be where this match gets away from the hosts. Cambuur have the edge in recent meetings too, winning 1-0 away in December 2025 after a 2-2 draw in September 2025.

Set pieces could matter here given the absentees on both sides, with Willem II's patched up defence likely to struggle with Cambuur's delivery, Haen has shown he can be a danger from dead ball situations and Cambuur will need to stay alert.

Cambuur to win 2-1. Willem II's defensive absences leave them exposed to exactly the attack Cambuur have been producing and the visitors should get one from open play and a second from a set piece or counter, with Haen possibly pulling one back late.