Preview: Go Ahead Eagles vs. Willem II - prediction, team news, lineups

Back in the Eredivisie after one year away, Willem II visit Go Ahead Eagles on Saturday, aiming to start the campaign strongly.

While nothing will be decided on matchday one, the returnees travel to De Adelaarshorst, aware of the dangers of looking out of their depth, but they hope to carry their decent-to-good pre-season form into this weekend's opener in Deventer.

Match preview

No sooner had the season ended for Go Ahead Eagles than Melvin Boel was given the heave-ho, his early June dismissal calling time on the manager's time at the club days shy of his first anniversary in charge.

Having claimed the KNVB Cup and secured a place in the top seven the year before, Boel's team could only manage to end 12th in 2025-26, while they exited after the league phase of the Europa League and were eliminated in the cup by relegation-threatened Telstar in the quarter-finals, even if a repeat of their 2024-25 domestic cup heroics was far-fetched.

Still, losing to a side that battled to survive last term was a setback, but it was a bottom-half league standing that possibly sealed Boel's fate in Deventer.

At the helm now is Joseph Oosting, who has overseen a pre-season in which Kowet were undeniably streaky, with a trio of wins — including a 23-0 success over SV Terwolde — and back-to-back wins over OFI Crete and Luton Town sandwiched between 3-0 and 2-1 losses to Apollon and Lommel.

The timing of their recent victories at least gives the Pride of IJssel some momentum heading into their competitive bow under the new man in charge, who bids to end Go Ahead Eagles' five-match winless run to end the previous season.

Facing the returning Willem II should pose challenges, especially if the visiting side show the battling qualities that steered them back to the top division after one year away.

Appointed after Superkruiken's relegation, John Stegeman immediately put them in a promising position to return as they ended third in the Eerste Divisie.

What followed was a tense quarter-final tie to beat RKC Waalwijk, overcoming Almere City in the semis and coming through a nail-biting final on penalties to send Volendam back to the second tier.

Those victories have sent Willem II back where they believe they belong, ahead of Saturday's opener at a ground where they have not won since November 2016, albeit only two visits to Deventer have happened since their 1-0 success a decade ago.

Aiming to start the season with the right mindset, Stegeman takes his side to De Adelaarshorst on a three-match unbeaten run in pre-season, fresh off consecutive triumphs against Mechelen and OFI, as they look to prove they belong at this level.

Go Ahead Eagles friendlies form:

Willem II friendlies form:

Team News

Likely absent for the hosts are defenders Gerrit Nauber and Pim Saathof, as well as midfield youngster Robin Weijenberg, owing to leg, knee and knee injuries, respectively.

Only Mathis Suray ended with double-digit goalscoring numbers last season, but barely sparkled in pre-season, scoring only in the 23-0 success over Terwolde.

One player whose form has impressed is January signing Stefan Ingi Sigurdarson, whose first pre-season with Kowet produced five goals in five appearances.

The visitors' final-third protagonists — Devin Haen and Thomas Verheydt — scored 18 and 10 goals in the second tier in 25-26, and they look to be as productive in the top division.

Having netted in consecutive games before this weekend's opener, a motivated Haen strives to score for the third game running against Go Ahead Eagles.

Anass Zerrouk has not played since March and will be assessed; however, Jari Schuurman and Amine Lachkar are likely absent from this weekend's squad.

Go Ahead Eagles possible starting lineup:

Veerdoni; Sampsted, Dirksen, Kramer, Waayers; Meulensteen, Margaret; Tengstedt, Suray, Edvardsen; Sigurdarson

Willem II possible starting lineup:

Didillon; Et-Taibi, Ciranni, Hoogma, Tjoe-A-On; Slory, Van Loon, Van Aalst, Boogaard; Haen, Culum

We say: Go Ahead Eagles 2-1 Willem II

Although the newly promoted visitors arrive with commendable pre-season momentum, Oosting will be desperate to start his tenure with a statement victory at De Adelaarshorst.

With Sigurdarson already demonstrating his lethal touch in front of goal, the Pride of IJssel should edge a tightly contested season opener in Deventer.

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