Preview: Heerenveen vs SBV Excelsior - prediction, team news, lineups

Heerenveen and SBV Excelsior kick off round nine of the 2026-27 Eredivisie season with a meeting at the Abe Lenstra Stadion on Friday evening.

Both teams came away empty-handed from their respective returns to action last time out and now seek to get themselves back on track.

Match preview

Heerenveen went into the September international break off the back of a 4-0 demolition of Sparta Rotterdam, which snapped a five-game winless run, and they were keen to build on that result in matchday eight, but a trip to PSV Eindhoven was always likely to prove too great a challenge.

Despite creating more clear-cut chances (4-3) than the defending champions, Robin Veldman’s men paid the price for wasteful finishing, as Guus Til’s opener and Marcus Linday’s own goal midway through the second half condemned them to a 2-0 defeat.

A nine-point haul from the first 24 available marks De Superfriezen’s second-highest tally at this stage since the 2022-23 campaign. Their tendency to start seasons slowly has perhaps been their biggest undoing in the race for a continental spot.

Since beating FC Twente in August’s curtain-raiser, Heerenveen have failed to win any of their subsequent three home matches - a significant drop-off from their form towards the end of 2025-26, when they went unbeaten in the last seven games in front of their fans and dropped only four points.

Not since August 2024 have Friday’s hosts gone four home league matches without a win, and Heerenveen will be eager to prevent that trend against an Excelsior side who lost both league meetings last season.

Having already faced Ajax and PSV this season and acquitted themselves well on both occasions, few would have expected Excelsior’s heaviest defeat to come against Groningen, but the Rotterdam outfit were left red-faced after a 5-1 thrashing on Sunday.

The defeat continued a downward spiral for Ruben den Uil’s men, who are now winless in their last four outings (D2, L2). It has been an emotional roller coaster for their supporters, having seen the team win three of the first four gameweeks.

Back on the road, where they have collected 8 of their 11 points, second only to NEC Nijmegen by percentage of total points tally won away from home, De Roodzwarten are unbeaten in their last eight competitive away matches dating back to last season.

With three consecutive games on enemy territory lying in wait - starting with the trip to Heerenveen - Excelsior will fancy their chances of putting together a decent run between now and the end of October, which sees them visit Fortuna Sittard and then MVV Maastricht in the KNVB Beker.

One of only five Eredivisie teams to have scored in every league outing this term, Friday’s visitors have shown they possess enough firepower up front but must now look to reduce their average of 1.8 goals conceded per game at the other end.

Heerenveen Eredivisie form:

SBV Excelsior Eredivisie form:

Team News

Dirk Proper has missed the last three games with a hamstring injury and is set to remain Heerenveen's only guaranteed absentee for Friday’s match.

Mees Hilgers and Mats Egbring both returned to the matchday squad last time out, with the latter even handed a 15-minute cameo.

Despite averaging the third-most shots on target per game in the division (1.7), Maxence Rivera has just two league goals this season and will need to improve his conversion rate.

Excelsior’s Noah Naujoks has not featured since the opening weekend against Cambuur, but the midfielder is nearing a return.

Irakli Yegoian has recorded at least one direct goal contribution in all four of his side’s away matches this season, making the Georgian one to watch.

Heerenveen possible starting lineup:

Klaverboer; Braude, Kersten, Willemsen, Zagaritis; Linday, Courtens; Trenskow, Meerveld, Rivera; Vente

SBV Excelsior possible starting lineup:

Van Gassel; Janssen, Plug, Widell, Moreira; Hartjes, Meissen, Yegoian; Sliti, Garden, Thorsteinsson