Preview: SBV Excelsior vs Go Ahead Eagles - prediction, team news, lineups

Excelsior Rotterdam will host Go Ahead Eagles on Sunday at the Van Donge & De Roo Stadion in a Round 25 clash in the Eredivisie.

Both sides head into the contest level on 26 points in the standings, with Go Ahead Eagles occupying 13th place and sitting just above Excelsior in 14th due to a superior goal difference.

Match preview

Excelsior head into this fixture on the back of consecutive defeats to AZ Alkmaar and Fortuna Sittard, marking the third time this season they have suffered back-to-back losses in the Eredivisie after similar sequences at the start of the campaign and again in October.

Ruben den Uil’s side have managed just two wins from their last 10 league matches, alongside four draws and four defeats, with four of their total victories this season coming on home soil.

Across their previous six outings, the Roodzwarten have recorded one win, three draws and two losses, and they have not tasted victory at home since their 2-1 success over PEC Zwolle in December 2025.

In the reverse fixture against Go Ahead Eagles in October, Excelsior were beaten 2-0 at De Adelaarshorst, where Mathis Suray struck twice in the second half to seal the result.

The two clubs share a rivalry that dates back to 1955 across various tiers of Dutch football, having met 86 times, with Excelsior claiming 25 victories, suffering 43 defeats and drawing 18 matches.

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Go Ahead Eagles ended an 11-match winless streak in the league with a commanding 4-0 victory over bottom-placed Heracles Almelo last weekend, securing their first Eredivisie win of 2026.

That triumph came after a narrow 1-0 defeat to Feyenoord in which Casper Tengstedt converted a 92nd-minute penalty to settle the contest.

Since defeating Feyenoord 2-1 in their first meeting of the season in early November, Melvin Boel’s men have failed to win any of their subsequent 11 league fixtures, with their only two victories in all competitions during that stretch coming in the KNVB Beker, including a penalty shootout success over Heracles on January 14.

The pride of the IJssel remain four points clear of the relegation zone despite collecting just 10 points from a possible 36 during that difficult run.

Encouragingly for Kowet, they have lost only once in their last 11 meetings with Excelsior, recording five wins and five draws since 2015.

SBV Excelsior Eredivisie form:

SBV Excelsior form (all competitions):

Go Ahead Eagles Eredivisie form:

Go Ahead Eagles form (all competitions):

Team News

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Excelsior will continue to be without Hamdi Akujobi due to a long-term knee injury, but Ilias Bronkhorst returns to contention after serving a suspension for accumulated yellow cards.

Lewis Schouten has also rejoined the squad after recovering from the injury scare that forced him off against AZ Alkmaar.

For Go Ahead Eagles, Robbin Weijenberg and Pim Saathof remain sidelined with knee injuries, while Gerrit Nauber is unavailable due to a leg problem.

Dean Ruben James is nearing a return to action, but Thibo Baeten will miss out again following his red card against Feyenoord.

Mathis Suray ended the previous match with an injury concern, and defender Julius Dirksen was substituted against Heracles with a suspected issue.

SBV Excelsior possible starting lineup:

De Busser; Sampsted, Van Zwam, Kramer, Adelgaard; Meulensteen, Breum, Goudmijn; Margaret, Tengstedt, Edvardsen

Go Ahead Eagles possible starting lineup:

Van Gassel; Bronkhorst, Widell, Meissen, Zagre; Schouten, Hartjes; Fernandes, Yegoian, De Regt; Naujoks

We say: SBV Excelsior 1-1 Go Ahead Eagles

With both sides looking nervously over their shoulders in the relegation battle, caution could define Sunday’s encounter as neither manager will want to risk another setback.

Although Excelsior have home advantage and will be eager to respond, the recent history of this fixture and the stakes involved suggest the points may ultimately be shared.

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