Preview: SBV Excelsior vs NAC Breda - prediction, team news, lineups

Brimming with confidence from their huge win over Ajax, SBV Excelsior will do battle against NAC Breda at Stadion Woudestein on Saturday evening.

Both sides commence gameweek 14 in the lower echelons of the Eredivisie table and will be keen to secure maximum points in Rotterdam.

Match preview

Having failed to win on any of their previous trips to the Dutch capital, Excelsior headed to the Johan Cruyff Arena for Saturday's clash against Ajax with the odds firmly against them, but managed to pull off a shock 2-1 win thanks to Noah Naujoks's double either side of half time.

That snapped a four-game winless streak for Ruben den Uil's men since they narrowly beat Fortuna Sittard 1-0 on returning to action after the October international break.

Excelsior's heroics in Amsterdam last time out have lifted them to 14th place, one point above the drop zone, but defeat this weekend could see them return to the bottom three depending on results elsewhere.

After seeing his side fail to score in their final two October outings, Den Uil will undoubtedly be delighted by the Kralingers' displays at the top end of the pitch this month, which have yielded five goals in three matches.

However, Saturday's hosts still have the fewest goals in the division (13) and must continue their recent renaissance in attack to pull away from relegation danger.

Like Excelsior, Breda were handed a tough assignment in the last round of matches as they welcomed defending champions PSV Eindhoven to the Rat Verlegh Stadion on Saturday.

Guus Til's strike nine minutes shy of the interval saw Carl Hoefkens's men lose by a one-goal margin for the second week running after Breda kicked off their November schedule with a 1-0 triumph over Go Ahead Eagles - their only league win since September 27.

While Saturday's clash does not hold the same significance as the most recent competitive meeting between Excelsior and Breda in the 2024 promotion/relegation playoffs, it presents both teams with an opportunity to kickstart their season following relatively underwhelming starts.

One of two Eredivisie teams yet to record an away league triumph this term, Parel van het Zuiden have been abysmal on the road, managing only two points from a possible 18.

Given how susceptible this weekend's opponents have been to late goals, with a combined 11 conceded between them in the final 15 minutes of matches, no one will be leaving the stadium early in this crucial six-pointer.

SBV Excelsior Eredivisie form:

SBV Excelsior form (all competitions):

NAC Breda Eredivisie form:

NAC Breda form (all competitions):

Team News

Chris Kevin Nadje is set to miss a sixth straight game for Excelsior through injury and is joined on the sidelines by Do-Young Yun, Mathijs Tielemans and Arthur Zagre.

Casper Widell and Nolan Martens were both forced off in the final knockings of the win over Ajax due to injury problems, making their involvement this weekend uncertain.

Off the back of no goals in his first eight league outings of the season, Noah Naujoks has now scored three times in his last two appearances and is one to look out for.

Jayden Candelaria, Leo Greiml and Enes Mahmutovic were absent from Breda's defeat to PSV and are all ruled out for Saturday's game as well, as they continue to nurse respective injury concerns.

However, Lewis Holtby is available to return to action after missing the aforementioned match due to a one-game suspension courtesy of his red card against Volendam.

SBV Excelsior possible starting lineup:

Van Gassel; Janseen, Meissen, Henderikx, Bronkhorst; Naujoks, Hartjes, Yegoian; De Regt, Bergraaf, Fernandes

NAC Breda possible starting lineup:

Bielica; Kemper, Jensen, Balard, Lucassen; Leemans, Nassoh; Sowah, Holtby, Talvitie; Van Hooijdonk