Heerenveen vs Excelsior Prediction & Betting Tips

How They've Been Playing

Excelsior's last seven league games have been a mixed bag but productive going forward: a 4-0 win at Cambuur, a 1-2 home loss to PSV, a 2-1 home win over Sparta Rotterdam, a 3-0 away win at Willem II, a 2-2 draw with NEC Nijmegen, a 1-2 home defeat to Utrecht and a 2-2 draw at Ajax.

Heerenveen: 20 completed matches; Excelsior: 20 completed matches.

Heerenveen

20 matches

Win

45% 9 / 20

Draw

30% 6 / 20

Loss

25% 5 / 20

Scored

43

Conceded

31

Difference

+12

Excelsior

20 matches

Win

55% 11 / 20

Draw

25% 5 / 20

Loss

20% 4 / 20

Scored

49

Conceded

28

Difference

+21

Heerenveen's recent run has been patchier. They beat Twente 1-0 at home, drew 2-2 at Ajax, lost 0-2 to PEC Zwolle at home, drew 2-2 at Willem II, lost 2-3 to AZ Alkmaar at home, drew 0-0 with Telstar and then thumped Sparta Rotterdam 4-0 away.

Heerenveen have struggled more at home than away in their recent league games, which matters given they're hosting this one.

Comparative Team Statistics: Heerenveen vs Excelsior

Head-to-Head

These two have met many times down the years, and the recent meetings have gone one way. Heerenveen won 2-1 at Excelsior's ground in March, then won 2-1 at their own place the previous October, meaning they've taken the last two encounters.

Go back a bit further and Excelsior beat Heerenveen 3-0 at home in January 2024, so the fixture hasn't always leaned the same direction. Given how much time has passed and how both squads can change, that older history doesn't tell us much about how this version of either team will play.

Heerenveen have had the better of the last couple of meetings, but the sample is short and dated.

League Positions

Excelsior currently sit seventh with 11 points from seven league games, having won three, drawn two and lost two. Heerenveen are just below them in tenth on 9 points, with two wins, three draws and two losses from the same number of matches.

Excelsior have scored 15 and conceded 9, while Heerenveen have scored 11 and conceded 9. Both are tight on defence, but Excelsior have found the net more often.

Excelsior have the healthier record on paper at this early stage of the season.

Players Making the Difference

For Excelsior, A. Sliti has three goals in seven matches this season, while I. Yegoian has been the main creative outlet with five assists in the same number of games. S. Janssen has also chipped in with three assists.

Heerenveen:

Best assist providers:

L. Smans - 3

Excelsior:

Best scorers:

A. Sliti - 3

Best assist providers:

I. Yegoian - 5

S. Janssen - 3

Penalty cards:

J. Plug x 2

On the Heerenveen side, L. Smans has three assists from five appearances, showing some of their attacking output has come from him. J. Plug has picked up two yellow cards and no reds for Excelsior, nothing alarming there.