Preview:FC Volendam vs SBV Excelsior - prediction, team news, lineups

Still looking for their first win of the 2025-26 Eredivisie campaign, FC Volendam will be looking to bounce back from their defeat last time out when they face SBV Excelsior at the Kras Stadium on Saturday.

The visitors are 16th in the table, with three points from five games, and they will be looking to pick up their second win of the campaign after being narrowly beaten by Sparta Rotterdam in the previous round.

Match preview

Volendam spent the last season in the Dutch first division and made a return to the top flight after comfortably winning the title.

Since taking charge of the club ahead of the 2024-25 season, Rick Kruys has done a phenomenal job, and so far, the Palingboeren have not looked out of depth, as they started their journey with four draws in a row.

The newly-promoted side produced fantastic performances at home turf against the likes of AZ Alkmaar and Ajax before the international break, and one could feel that a victory is almost around the corner.

The Wijdbroeken suffered a minor setback after losing 3-0 against Go Ahead Eagles in their previous game, but Kruys will surely ask his players to shake off the disappointment ahead of their weekend clash.

The two sides have faced each other 46 times in their history, with Volendam winning 17 times, compared to 23 wins by the Rotterdam club, with the remaining six games ending in draws. The last time the two sides met was in April 2024, where Excelsior won 4-0 at their home turf.

Excelsior have made a stuttering start to the season, losing four out of their opening five games to sit just above Heerenveen and Heracles Almelo at the bottom of the table.

The Kralingers started the new campaign with a 5-0 defeat against NEC Nijmegen, which was followed by a 2-1 loss against Feyenoord and a 4-1 humiliation at the hands of FC Utrecht.

Ruben den Uil’s men have scored only three goals thus far and conceded 12; their -9 goal difference is the second-worst record in the division, with only Heracles faring worse (-14).

The only positive from their season has been the 1-0 win over FC Twente before the international break, thanks to a late 83rd-minute goal from substitute Mike van Duinen.

Excelsior put up an intense fight against Sparta in the previous game despite going a man down, but a 90th-minute goal from Ayoub Oufkir broke their hearts.

FC Volendam Eredivisie form:

SBV Excelsior Eredivisie form:

L L L W L

Team News

Volendam have no major injury issues at the moment, which means Kruys has access to his complete squad for this fixture.

Captain Henk Veerman is one of the players to watch out for after scoring 26 goals in the Eerste Divisie, while loan signing Anthony Descotte, who has netted two already this term, could be another option for the Dutch manager.

For the visitors, Arthur Zagre is suspended for this game after he picked up two yellow cards in the previous game. In his absence, Simon Janssen could start at left-back.

Goalkeeper Stijn van Gassel is still out with a groin injury, while Lennard Hartjes (cruciate ligament), Mathijs Tielemans (unknown injury) and Lewis Schouten (hamstring) are all sidelined.

FC Volendam possible starting lineup:

Van Oevelen; Ugwu, Mbuyamba, Verschuren, Leliendal; Plat, Bukala; Oehlers, Descotte, Ideho; Veerman

SBV Excelsior possible starting lineup:

Raatsie; Bronkhorst, Widell, Meissen, Janssen; Naujoks, Carlen; Fernandes, Yegoian, Regt; Duinen

We say: FC Volendam 1-0 SBV Excelsior

Volendam have been positive in their approach, and they are refreshing to watch. Excelsior have a poor defensive record, which means they are likely to concede, which gives the home side a slight edge.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.